Shadows at Midnight
by Meneme-chan
Summary: When Edward left Bella, she was found by a beautiful golden boy who slowly introduced her to the exhilarating world of the Nephilim. Now Bella must work her way through the world of Shadowhunters even as her old life begins to change...
1. In the Woods

The forest was dark.

I could see nothing in the darkness between the trees. Leaves rustled, animals crept and called to each other, and I was numb to the world. Curled on the forest floor, I stared at my knees and breathed shakily. Edward was gone.

Edward was gone.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. I simply lay there on the ground, gasping for air as tears burned down my face. Gradually I became aware of a sharp stick digging into my shoulder, twisting the fabric of my shirt and pinching my skin. I did not move.

I heard voices in the distance, calling my name. I listened to them for a short while, wondering why they wanted to see me. By the time I thought to answer, the forest was silent again. I did not mind.

There was a rustle near me, but I didn't look up. The crunch of a twig, and a musky aroma reached my nose. I raised my head and peered into the gloom and saw a golden boy.

As I stared, the golden boy paced slowly closer, his movements deliberate and light. His skin was a beautiful shade of gold, permanently kissed by the sun. His wild curls of honey hair matched his golden eyes, and I began to hyperventilate.

He reached me quickly, picking me up and cradling me in his expert arms. He made no sound to comfort me, he just held me loosely and brushed the debris out of my hair. I noticed strange, black markings on his arms and hands, like tribal tattoos. I tried to speak, to ask him who he was, but I could only let out a strangled sound.

"Hush now," the boy said. "You're safe."

I made no movement of affirmation, only gazing at him in a mixture of awe and horror. His golden eyes turned silver in the dim light as he looked around, face stilling as he seemed to concentrate.

Without warning, he scooped me up securely in his arms and stood upright in one fluid movement. I whimpered in pain at the memories his grace procured. He spared me one brief, worried look, before setting off at a jog.

He wasn't as fluid as his run, but the jarring kept my mind from wandering and loosened my tongue.

"Who are you?" I asked finally, voice shaking a little.

He did not answer my question, merely avoiding it by darting through some trees and asking, "A better question is what you were doing out here, all by yourself."

I closed my eyes for a moment, biting my lip at the painful memory. "I'd rather not talk about that."

He shrugged, bumping me against his chest in the process. "Suit yourself," he said, running faster.

He ran for a while, before stopping dead and depositing me on the ground so quickly that I let out a little scream. His hand was like iron over my mouth in an instant, his other arm clamping around my shoulder as he dragged me near a tree and hissed, "Stay behind me."

Standing tall, he drew a short knife from his boot and called loudly, "Who are you and what do you want?"

Silence.

The bushes to our left rustled, before revealing a tall, shirtless Quileute man walked out of the shrubbery. "My name is Sam Uley. I'm part of a search party looking for Chief Swan's daughter. I can take her back to her father now," he said softly, eyeing the knife warily.

The boy did not lower his knife. "You don't look like a Downworlder to me, but your tracks say otherwise," he told Sam Uley.

This made no sense to me, but it seemed to make sense to Sam. "I'm no Downworlder, I'm a Quileute."

The boy lowered his blade in an instant, ferocity forgotten as he looked curiously at Sam. "I've heard stories, but I've never met anyone of your abilities."

"Shadowhunters don't usually run through these woods with a missing girl," Sam said shortly.

The boy grinned, a flash of sunlight on glass. Holding his hand out, he shook Sam's hand and said, "Jace, Jace Wayland. A pleasure to meet you, Sam Uley."

Sam smiled a bit, before walking over to me and scooping me up. I relaxed a little, warmed by his bare chest. "Take care, Isabella Swan," Jace told me, placing his palm on my forehead. "May the Angel watch over you."

Then he was running through the woods, quick as an arrow and gone like the sunset.

Sam carried me through the woods, the mantra of his walk lulling me to sleep. I heard voices, and my father's arms were around me as he stammered out his thanks to Sam. I was carried inside the house and laid on the couch and asleep my the time my head hit the cushions.


	2. Shadowhunters

One month, six days, eleven hours and twenty-seven minutes.

Edward has been gone for one month, six days, three hours and twenty-seven minutes. Every waking second there has been a hole in my chest, burning like venom, reminding me of his absence. I wanted his cold arms around me to cool the pain...

The hole burned hotter. I buried my face in my hands, before looking at the clock. I knew it was time to get up for school, I just didn't want to go. I didn't want to see the places where they had sat, the spot where they would park their cars. I didn't want to be in the Biology room where I had first met him. I wanted to be away, far away. The only thing keeping me from folding in on myself was the persistent curiosity about the golden boy who had found me in the woods. At night, when I would dream about Edward leaving, I would sometimes dream of Jace. He would be walking through the woods, barefoot and dressed in white as black markings showed through the thin cotton of his shirt. Sometimes I called to him, other times I hid. He would always beckon to me, smiling slightly as he led me through the forest. Those were the only nights I didn't wake up screaming.

"Bells? You up?" Charlie's voice sounded through the door, accompanied by a soft knock.

"Yeah," I rasped, throat dry and lips chapped. I had not dreamed of Jace last night.

I swung my legs out of bed, ran my fingers through my hair, and padded across the cool hardwood to my door. Opening it, I nodded to my father, who patted my shoulder awkwardly, but gently. "I have to go in early, Bells. Can you manage?" he asked gruffly, eyes appraising as he looked at me.

"I can get to school fine, dad," I replied, before heading down the stairs to the kitchen. He rumbled in agreement, giving me a kiss on the head before he left for work. The police car purred in the driveway, before roaring down the road and leaving a dull silence in it's wake.

I got ready quickly, not wanting to linger in the empty house. As I hurried out the door to my truck, slipping through puddles and fallen leaves, I saw a flash of gold in the forest. When I looked again, there was only the reddening trees, green leaves flushing with death that autumn was bringing. Shaking my head, I twisted the key in the ignition and lost myself in the snarls my truck emitted.

As I pulled into the parking lot of Forks High, I noticed someone leaning against the flagpole so casually that I wondered if they'd slump right through it. When I scrambled out of my truck and began to walk towards the front doors, I got a clearer glimpse of them and stopped dead.

Clad in the purest white shirt and black pants, Jace stood up straight and stared into my eyes. His shirt seemed far too thin for this weather, showing the complicated patterns tracing his skin. His body was toned and elegant; with his face and halo of curls he looked like an angel. With the casual arrogance he wore like a cape, I was willing to bet that he knew he was beautiful too.

"Jace," I said softly, nodding my head in acknowledgement as I hurried inside.

Falling in step next to me, hands in his pockets, Jace's long legs easily kept stride with mine. "Miss Swan," he said, gliding forward to hold the door open for me. "I believe we have some business with each other."

"What business?" I asked, my voice low and intense. "You helped me out and I haven't seen you since."

He nodded. "But the fact is, you saw me." When I opened my mouth to make a sharp retort, he held his hand up to stave off my comments. "I meant that you actually see us, which is quite rare." Looking around at the curious faces of the students, he said more quietly, "I'll be at your house later, to explain more. Until then, farewell."

Once again, I was alone.

The day was a blur. I had stopped feeling or speaking during classes, and my old friends had stopped trying to start conversations. No one seemed to have seen Jace speak to me this morning. If they had, they pretended they hadn't. I preferred it that way.

When I pulled into my driveway, I wasn't surprising to find Jace sitting on my front porch. He didn't get up, merely watching as I got out of my truck and approached him. We stared at each for a while, silent.

Finally, I broke the silence. "What do you mean, when you say I can see?"

Holding out his bare arm, Jace asked me, "Do you see anything on my arms?"

Reaching out a finger, I held it a fraction above the first tattoo I saw. "I see a lot of tattoos. They look tribal, like something a biker would have."

His eyes glowed in amusement. "They're not tattoos. They're Marks, runes for Shadowhunters."

"Shadowhunters?" I asked. He sighed.

"I see that you have a lot of catching up to do," he muttered. "You might as well invite me in."

I cracked a smile at that, the first one in months. Gesturing for him to follow me, I unlocked the front door and told him to go on ahead into the kitchen. "Would you like anything?"

Lounging in a kitchen chair, Jace nodded and asked, "Do you have any Pepsi?"

Seating myself across from him and handing him a can of Pepsi, I said, "Explain yourself, Shadowhunter boy."

He grinned. "It all began long ago...."

When Charlie came home, he let out a yell and grabbed for his gun. Jumping upright, Jace held his hands up in surrender and said, "Easy there, Chief Swan. You don't want to shoot a friend of your daughter's now, do you?"

Not lowering his gun an inch, Charlie spat, "I have every right to shoot a trespasser." Catching sight of the Marks on Jace's arms, he hissed, "And a Shadowhunter to boot! What is your kind doing here?"

Jace looked surprised, then gave a practiced, coy smile. "What gave me away? The Marks?"

Charlie stared Jace down. "My ex-wife was the daughter of one of your people. She wanted none of your life, couldn't have it if she wanted to. She married me, and I'm no Shadowhunter."

"I'm not going to tattle, if that's what you're after," Jace said dryly. "I'm hardly on the good side of the Clave when it comes to family." Charlie seemed to relax slightly, and Jace carried on. "Your daughter does have the Sight, so I assume she's probably inherited her mother's Nephilim blood."

Running his hand over his face, Charlie let out a great sigh and flopped into a chair. "So what are you proposing?"

Balancing on the back of the chair, Jace glanced sideways at Charlie and said, "I'll be staying here for quite some time. I could teach your daughter to fight, in case a Downworlder catches scent of her. Or if some greasy boy won't leave her alone at school. Those social shut-ins are very persistent when they corner a girl..." Jace trailed off, staring thoughtfully out the window.

Heaving himself upright, Charlie stumped over the fridge, pulled out a beer and took a swig. Releasing another sigh, he growled out, "Fine. But there better not be a scratch on her."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Jace said solemnly, raising his right hand as if swearing an oath. "I swear on the Angel, I'll train her and protect her to the best of my abilities." Charlie seemed satisfied with that, nodding and clumping into the other room and sinking into the couch. The television turned on, and the sounds of a baseball game filled the house.

"Besides, I'd never scratch you. You need to have a hangnail to do that, and my nails are pristine," Jace said primly, breathing on his nails and buffing them against his shirt.

In the other room, Charlie muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Damn Shadowhunters."


	3. The Marks

Thank you all for being so patient with me and for reading Shadows at Midnight. I forgot my earlier disclaimers, but I own nothing but the ideas in my head. Enjoy, please, and review!

~Meneme-chan

- - -

The sound of flesh hitting flesh filled the small clearing, grass trampled beneath my feet as I tried to block Jace's punch. After all the years of tripping over nothing and having to scramble back upright, I was pretty light on my feet. Compared to Jace, however, I was a lumbering giant slogging through cement. The boy seemed to be made of air; one moment he would be hovering at my left, and the next he'd be behind me with a blunt knife to my throat and whispering, "Dead."

Every time he snagged an opening, he'd go for it and let me know that I just died. I must've died enough for an entire war in the first hour of training.

I only complained once, bursting out, "Why are you making me do this if you're so much better than me?"

Unfazed, he replied, "Because if I took it easy on you and let you win, you'd be so soft that a flower fairy could take you out."

I didn't find the need to voice my complaints after that.

Every day, after school, I hike out into the woods with Jace. He doesn't wait for me, he doesn't help me. He simply walks, and if I get lost, then it's my fault for not keeping up. I'm betting that if I asked him, he'd tell me it was to build character. I feel like the karate kid, only less coordinated.

We practice for an hour or two, depending on the light. Sometimes we practice hand to hand combat, sometimes we practice fighting with weapons. If it's too dark outside to practice, then he teaches me the basic Marks that I'll need to know. I like those lessons the best, because he'll open up and talk to me. Usually he tells me stories about his childhood in Idris, or about Alec Lightwood, his _parabatai_. When I practice drawing the Marks, though, Jace's eyes dim and his mouth turns into a thin line. He'll sigh heavily, and not speak to me the entire lesson, other than instructions or critiques.

Those are usually the nights I dream about _him_ and I wake up screaming. Charlie will rush in, panicking and hushing me as he holds me to his chest and murmurs gently and soothes me. I am always tired the next day, and Jace never makes comment. Either he knows and is just to tactful to mention it, or he's just thoughtful. I find both unlikely.

My classmates have noticed the change in me. My body, once skinny and defenseless, is now hardening into a lean, fighting machine (thanks to Jace and his health nut regimens). People still stare at me in the halls, but they no longer point and whisper. When I brought this up to Jace, he laughed and told me that when he was finished with me, people would flat out run away from me. Prick.

It still hurts, to think of them. I wake up screaming still, and I can't listen to music or even bear to look at a piano. I've been told that Jace is an excellent pianist, but I can't bring myself to listen. Too close to him.

"Dead." For the fourth time in ten minutes, I was dead at Jace's hands. I huffed, trying to bite down my temper. Jace's smirk didn't help.

Strolling into position, he poised himself, light as a feather, in front of me. "Try to hit me this time," he drawled, grinning at me. That did it. Not waiting for his cue, I flung myself at him in a furious attack. Dodging his surprised blows, I got in a good jab in his ribs and a small kick to his knee that made him stagger. Gritting his teeth, he fought back, matching me blow for blow and forcing me to step backwards with long legged, sweeping kicks. At first I was confused, but out of my peripheral vision I saw the line of trees and realized he was trying to box me in. Allowing myself to be shepherded, I waited until the last second to jump out of the way. A loud thunk, and Jace's foot connected with the very solid tree trunk, spraying chunks of bark everywhere. Eyes watering, he hopped on one foot, uttering what sounded like a long line of curses.

Kicking his other leg out from under him, I dove on top of him in what I thought would be a winning move. Boy, was I wrong. Evidently anticipating my move, he rolled to the side and allowed me to face plant straight into the muddy soil. Pouncing on top of me and dragging my arms behind my back, he sat on my waist and said brightly, "Better! Much better!"

"You still got me!" I complained, spitting out a mouthful of mud.

"Yes," he agreed, shifting so he was more comfortable and I was not. "But you improved. You used my strength against me, and you caught me completely off guard." Pausing, he added with a touch of pride, "I think you even gave me some bruises."

"Glad to know," I sneered sarcastically before wriggling.

Standing up, Jace dusted himself off before offering me a hand to help me up. "Shall we go?"

"Another round?" I asked, readying myself for a fight.

Jace shook his head. "No, to go back to your house. You did well, well enough to earn a break."

I stared at him for a moment, before saying smugly, "You hurt your foot pretty bad, didn't you?"

Slumping his shoulders, Jace groaned. "Yes, my foot is killing me. In case you didn't notice, I kick very hard." Plopping on his rear, Jace tugged his sneakers off and examined the very swollen big toe with mild distaste.

"I think it's broken," I said quietly, unnerved by the injury.

"Oh, it's broken all right," he snorted. Slipping a stele out of his pocket, he pointed it at me and said firmly, "Watch and learn, young Shadowhunter, as I draw an iratze."

Crouching down next to him, I watched his long fingers drag the tip of the stele along the ball of his foot. He winced once, before biting his lip and concentrating on the spider-like image he was drawing. When he was finished, it seemed to burn a bit. Tilting his head back, Jace let out a breath of relief and said, "So much better."

"That's it?" I asked, dumbfounded. "No sparks? No lights from the sky, no dramatics? Just a drawing that fixes you up?"

"Yup," he said, gently pulling his sneaker back on. Testing his foot, he stood upright and began to walk through the woods. Over his shoulder he called, "Keep up, Swan! Don't tell me the cripple is going to beat you home!"

I ran after him, muttering curses under my breath. Judging by his laugh, he heard me. Stupid Shadowhunters.


	4. It doesn't rain, it pours

Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I'll try to update as quickly as I can, dearies, so be patient with me and please keep reviewing. I own nothing, credit goes to Miss Clare and Miss Meyers.

- - -

The rain came down in a steady sheet, soaking Jace and I to the bones. No longer bright, Jace's honey curls were plastered to his head in dull gold waves. Flushed with cold, he dimpled a sickly sweet smile in my direction and said wryly, "Way to pick a state, Swan. Welcome to Washington, land of rain and head colds."

"It's not my fault that you caught a cold," I said waspishly. "You're the one running around in paper thin t-shirts."

"I am, and that's why the ladies love me," he said with a smug smile, folding his arms behind his head and relaxing against the tree trunk.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure they love getting pneumonia from the golden boy of Idris," I sneered, swinging my legs so I could straddle the branch to face him.

He rolled his eyes, before stage whispering, "Don't look down, Swan, but we're about fifty feet above the ground and you've yet to fall today. Want to place any bets about how much longer that streak is going to last?"

Making a face at him, I grumbled, "Shut up, Wayland."

"Snappy comeback, Swan. What's next? 'No, you!' or 'Your mom!'?"

"I said, shut up!" I said louder, glaring at him. He mouthed the words 'Make me,' and gave me an equally challenging look. Holding my arm out, I mimed pushing him off the tree. He laughed, and did the age-old gesture of 'bring it on.'

So I shoved him off the branch.

Well, actually, I tried. His hands clapped around my wrists, and he drew me close with a triumphant smirk. "Nice try, Swan. There's a long waiting list to kill me, and I'm afraid you'll have to wait your turn."

He let me go with a chuckle, before staring out across the forest. We sat for a while in comfortable silence, each buried in our own thoughts.

"Why were you in the forest, that day that I found you?" Jace asked suddenly, shattering the silence and startling me out of my thoughts.

"What?" I asked, losing my balance and wobbling dangerously on the branch.

Reaching out an arm to steady me, Jace said, "Don't make me win that bet, Swan. But seriously, why were you in the forest that day?"

I was quiet for a moment, fiddling with my jacket as I tried to breathe slowly and evenly. The pain flared in my chest, a burning reminder of the hole in my heart. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I said quietly, "My boyfriend had wanted to go for a walk with me." Jace raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "It wasn't unusual. There was a beautiful meadow we used to go to, where he could be himself without worrying about people finding us. We were walking, but he wouldn't tell me where we were going. I kept asking him, and he finally stopped. Then he told me he was moving, he and his family. I asked him what I should say to Charlie, so I could go too. But he said he didn't want me to come. He said... he didn't want me anymore." My voice shook and finally cracked, and I roughly wiped away the tears that were forming. Jace was still, watching me with his widespread gold eyes that blinked only against the rain.

"He seemed to think that he was putting my life in danger, being what he was. He didn't understand that he was what kept me going, kept me alive. I didn't care what he was, I just cared about him....." I stopped talking, covered my face, and wept.

The branch creaked as Jace leaned forward; his voice was as soft as the falling rain. "What was he, Bella?"

"A vampire," I admitted, voice muffled by my hands.

The branch creaked again, and Jace put his arms around my shoulders. He was silent, his arm was warm against my soaked skin. "I know what it's like to love and have that thrown in your face," he told me quietly, arm tightening around my shoulders. "I know how it hurts, how you never to talk to anyone who knew them or see anything that they touched, be anywhere that they were. You hate them and you love them, all at the same time. But Bella, you have to pull through this. In the month that I've known you, I've seen you change. I've seen the life start to come back into your eyes and I've seen you smile again. It's not wrong to heal and it's not wrong to be happy. You've got to think of the ones who love you still, the ones who worry about you and want to see your smile again. Do you understand me?" he asked, turning my face so I had to look into his serious tawny eyes.

"Yeah," I said, "I do."

"Good," he said briskly, removing his arm from my shoulders. Returning to his previous spot, we sat and watched the rain come down once more.

- - - -

I know this chapter was a bit fluffy, but for those who never read the Mortal Instruments, I needed to show Jace's good side. I promise the next chapter will have more action!


	5. A portal

I'm hoping to get two updates in one fell swoop! Thank you for the love, dear readers, and please continue reading! I own nothing.

- - -

Jace was on top of me, blonde hair glowing in the sunlight and cascading around his face like a ring of molten gold. His smile was beautiful, his chipped tooth endearing in it's imperfection. Pulling my arm from under his grip, I threw a punch intended to match that chip with another.

Rolling off me, he laughed as he rolled into an easy crouch. Stalking him like a cat, I circled him, teeth bared and reaching for my Seraph blade. We pulled them out simultaneously, movements fluid and practiced. I uttered the name, watching with grim satisfaction as the blade lit up. I had earned my first Mark a month ago, and I planned to earn my second today. Whenever I beat Jace in a fight, I earned a new Mark.

And let me say, beating Jace was one of the most difficult feats I've ever managed. We circled a little longer, feet carrying us in an unconscious dance that we were hardly aware of. With a snap, I lunged for him, swinging the blade at his throat with a soundless grimace. Blocking the blow, he tried to disarm me with a fancy twist. Grimly I clung to my blade, twisting with the sword and spiraling away from my sparring partner with a flourish. His smile lit up his eyes with the intensity of the sun, blinding me with a barrage of slashes and thrusts that made me parry and twirl faster than I ever have before.

We continued our dance for a while longer; Jace leading with the offense and me following with the defense. During one particularly close battle, I knocked his blade aside, abandoned my blade and caught him around the waist in a flying tackle. His breath whooshed out of him in a painful _Oomph!_ before we fell to the ground in a tangled mess. We wrestled for a short while, each struggling to best the other. Jace was stronger, but I was more flexible. Twisting on top of him, I pulled a slender blade from my thigh sheath and held it to his throat. Chest heaving and eyes crossing to try to see the blade, Jace admitted, "Resourceful."

"Thigh sheaths always come in handy," I gasped, breathless from the fighting.

"Trying to win me over, are we?" he asked, eyes nearly covered by the thick rim of lashes that made him look half asleep. Beneath me, I could feel his body running with electric energy.

"You caught me," I said with a half-smile, pressing the blade a little harder against his throat. "But I think you owe me a Mark," I reminded him, none too gently.

He groaned, letting his head fall against the ground. "That would be admitting defeat," he complained. "And I hate losing."

"Think of it as an opportunity to learn," I teased, remembering all the smug little sayings he'd tell me when I lost.

He made a face, but sat up and pushed me off his chest. "Roll up your sleeve," he instructed me, pulling the stele out of his pocket. "I'm going to give you the Mark for balance. The Angel knows you need it," he added, grinning mischievously at me. I rolled my eyes, but refrained from commenting.

Placing his warm hand on my upper arm, he carefully drew along my arm. It burned as it traced along my skin, but I gritted my teeth and bore it. The pain was worth it. When he finished, Jace admired his handiwork. "There. You won't so clumsy any more, not with this baby."

I grinned at the rune, tracing the itching skin around it. Pulling me to my feet, Jace looked at me bashfully and said, "I have some bad news, Bella."

"What is it?" I asked, eyes widening in slight alarm.

"I have to go back to Idris," he said, looking down and kicking lightly at a tuft of grass. "Clary said that they've been having some problems with working out the kinks in the new treaty, and they need some new perspectives. I've been asked to go, and I know Clary would hate to go without me."

I stared at the ground, studying the small divot that Jace had kicked in the turf. "How long will you be gone?" I asked, careful not to meet his eyes.

"I'm not too sure. Hopefully, I won't be gone longer than a month. If it's longer than that, I'll send someone to keep you company until I come back." Placing his hand on my shoulder and turning me to face him, Jace said quietly, "I promise I'll be back, Bella. I'll bring the rest of the group, Clary and the Lightwoods. I'll even bring Simon. It might take me a while, but I'll be back. I swear it, by the Angel I swear it."

Jace fell silent, and I stayed silent. Behind Jace, the pines rustled in the last of the winter breezes. Finally, I nodded.

Giving me a gruff hug, Jace said softly, "I'll be leaving tomorrow at dawn. Magnus Bane arranged a Portal for me, and Alec is going to meet me before taking me to Idris. Will you see me off?"

"I'd love to," I said, blinking hard and smiling weakly.

Clapping a hand to my shoulder, Jace walked slowly back with me to my house.

...

Dawn rose, swift and cold. My breath rose in thick white clouds; even though I was wrapped in a thick winter coat I was still freezing. "How much longer do you think it will take?" I asked through my chattering teeth.

"Not much," Jace answered, dressed in his scratched leather jacket and dark blue jeans.

A flare of light about ten feet away, and a handsome dark haired boy appeared out of it. He looked around, spotted Jace, and ran over to catch him in a strong hug. "Jace!" he laughed, taking a step back to look at him. "It's been too long!"

"It has," Jace replied with a smile, ruffling the boy's hair. Turning to me, he said, "Bella, this is Alec Lightwood, my parabatai. Alec, this is Bella Swan."

"So this is the famous Bella," Alec said with a smile, shaking my hand. "You've got Clary going mad with jealousy back at the Institute." Jace looked rather pleased by that thought. Turning to Jace, Alec said with a sly smile, "She's going to kill you for sure, Jace." Looking even happier at that thought, Jace turned to shade his eyes from the sudden flare the second Portal created.

"We'd better get going," Alec sighed. "Magnus hates having to hold Portals for long."

"He'll hold them forever for his boyfriend," Jace ribbed, and Alec blushed. Facing me, Jace gathered me in a bear hug and said, "Be careful, little Swan. You know how to reach me, if you need me. The list of runes that you'll need are on your bedside table. Practice your techniques every day so you don't forget any moves!"

"I know," I said with a cheeky smile. "Stop acting like my mom, Jace. I'll be fine. Tell Clary I say hi, and give Simon a hug for me." Laughing at his horrified expression, I gave him a gentle shove towards the Portal. "Go on!"

Waving farewell, Jace walked behind Alec into the Portal, giving me one last cheeky grin before the light swallowed them both.

I stayed for a short while, staring at the spot where the Portal had been. Breath forming a cloud around me, I turned and trudged home.

- - - -

This is not the end, dearies! I have so much more to add, so fear not! I promise this twist was for a reason. Hang with me here! ~ Meneme-chan


	6. Oh, it's you

I own nothing!

- - -

Wiping the sweat off of my forehead, I paused to lean against a tree trunk and take a long look around me. I had gotten up early today, determined to find the meadow that I used to go to with _Edward._ The hole in my chest tingled, but no longer flared. Smiling grimly to myself, I adjusted the straps of my backpack and set off once more. Ducking under branches and pushing aside the drooping moss from trees, I squinted into the distance at a slight increase in light. The runes for long sight that I had given myself finally kicked in, and I saw the signs of a clearing. Hurrying my pace, I jogged lightly through the brush and broke into the opening.

Slowing into a gradual halt, I rotated on my heel and stared at the meadow, dropping the backpack off of my shoulders. The flowers were blooming, the grass shone in the new spring sunlight. Covering a sob with my mouth, I dropped into a crouch and let out a quiet keening sound. This was the meadow. This was the place where _Edward_ would lay with me in his arms, the sunlight breaking into a thousand diamonds on his skin as he leaned forward to press his frozen lips against my forehead-

"No!" I screamed, pulling uselessly at my hair and shaking my head. I was not going to break down like this! I was not going to come apart like this, not after coming this far! I was so close, so close to getting better!

I shouldn't have come.

Tucking my forehead against my knees, I keened louder, the high pitched noise filling my ears and drowning out the memories. Rocking back and forth and wrapping my arms around myself, I dove headfirst into an ocean of oblivion. I didn't want to remember. I didn't want to think. I didn't want to feel ever again.

As I rocked back on my heels, a flash of sunlight slashed across my eyes. Jerking my head upright, I looked desperately for the golden colors that I knew as Jace. Freezing in realization, my mouth gaped open as a thought hit me. I didn't look for _Edward_ with his shining skin. I looked for my mentor, my advisor, my friend. _Edward_ was no longer the only thought in my mind, haunting my every move, whispering to me, running from me in my nightmares.

I was moving on.

Flopping on my back, I let out a strangled half-triumphant, half-mournful yell. Tears ran down my face, but I didn't care. I was growing, healing, changing.

Suddenly vindictive, I threw my fist into the air and screamed, "Take that, Cullen!"

"What about them?" A smooth voice asked me, dry and amused.

Sitting bolt upright, hand automatically drifting to the blade in my thigh sheath, I found myself looking at Laurent. "Oh," I said, getting up casually. "It's you."

Inclining his head slightly, Laurent nodded. "It is indeed. Now, what's this about the Cullens?"

"Oh, nothing," I said, my voice carefully nonchalant. Shrugging, I drifted towards my abandoned backpack with practiced casualness.

"Could it be about the fact that they abandoned you?" Laurent offered, tilting his head as he stalked closer. Forcing myself to breath evenly, I gave him a curious look. "I went by their home, and it was deserted. It smelled like it had been empty for a while," he told me.

Pausing in my trek towards my backpack, I bent down to pick a flower, thoughts racing. I could lie, and tell him that the Cullen's would be back soon. I was a terrible liar, though. I could run, but he'd catch me. Standing up and bringing the flower to my nose, I smiled a bit at my last option. Intimidation always works in a pinch.

"Yeah, they've been gone for a while," I said coolly, twirling the flower between my fingers. "But if I were you, I wouldn't stay too long."

"Oh?" Laurent asked, moving slowly but deliberately towards me.

Picking up my backpack and carefully placing the flower inside, I gave him a hard look and said coldly, "This is Shadowhunter territory now. They tend to not like feral vampires, Laurent," I said, with a nod towards his red eyes.

"I don't see any around here to protect you," he said, baring his teeth in what was supposed to be an intimidating fashion.

"I don't need one to protect me," I scoffed.

At my side in an instant, Laurent asked me quietly, "Are you so sure?"

Whipping a Seraph blade out of my backpack, I hissed, "Ithuriel!" and brought the glowing blade next to his neck. "Positive," I told him smoothly, giving him a dark smile.

"Nephilim," he spat, red eyes glowing in distaste and fear.

Nodding my head in acknowledgement, I replied, "In the flesh. Now, stand down. I have no wish to kill you."

"But I do," he spat. "I will make your death swift. Fear not, it will be merciful. Not like Victoria's planned death for you. She so likes to play with her food."

"Let her play," I sneered, and Laurent flew at me, nails like claws at my face.

Reacting instantly, I ducked his scraping hands and slashed at them with my Seraph blade. Hissing, he withdrew and began to circle me like a vulture. Slowly turning with him, blade at the ready, I watched him carefully.

"Give up, Isabella Swan. I'll make it painless. It'll feel like falling asleep," Laurent crooned. "Blood loss is so tiring. And you smell so delectable...."

Sinking into a firm stance, I spat, "I'd like to see you try."

"With pleasure." Lunging at me again, Laurent let out a surprised and pained hiss as my blade bit into his shoulder. Yowling, he clutched the gouge and snarled at me, eyes going black. I didn't back down in the slightest. Snarling again, Laurent lunged at me once more, hands extended for my throat. I brought the blade up in a slash, but Laurent ignored the gouge I created along his arm and knocked me off my feet. The Seraph blade skittered away, flaring slightly in the dust ten feet away. Grabbing his neck, I struggled to keep his bared teeth from sinking into me.

"Get off!" I managed to yell, kicking his stomach but only managing to bruise my toes.

Laughing, Laurent leaned all of his weight into me and snapped his jaws just inches from my arms. Upon failure of biting, he slashed open my left wrist with his claws and purred at the scent of my blood. _Shit_. Heart beating wildly, I briefly wondered how I was going to get out of this. No options arose, and I bared my teeth and thought grimly to myself that at least I had put up one hell of a fight.

There was a wild, guttural snarl, and then Laurent was knocked right off of me. Kicking myself upright, I found Laurent surrounded by four gigantic wolves.

He snarled, baring his teeth, only to have them matched by the fangs of the wolves. Wracking my brains as I ran to get my Seraph blade, I remembered the brief lesson Jace had given me on Quileute history. Evidently, the stories had it that they could shape-shift into giant wolves. Jace had said the myths were true, and that the man, Sam, who had found me was one. Looking closely at the wolves, I noticed one in the front, a grayish wolf, that seemed to be leading the pack. He snapped at Laurent, who turned to run away.

Annoyed, I yelled, "Oh no you don't!" Grabbing the knife from my thigh sheath, I threw it as hard as I could, pinning Laurent to a tree by his hand. He let out a shriek that made my ears ring, tugging wildly at the knife to free himself. Jogging forward, I leveled the blade at his throat and said coldly, "Even if you are outmatched, you go down with a fight. Not turn and run like the coward you are."

Behind me, the wolves growled. "You'll get your turn at him," I told him, never taking my eyes off Laurent or lowering the blade. "It's your choice now. Stay and fight, or run like a coward." Tugging the blade out with ease, I watched Laurent take off running. Tutting under my breath, I threw the newly freed blade and watched it sink into the middle of his back, probably severing his spine as he crumpled to the ground. "Have at him," I told the wolves. "Just give me my knife back when you're done."

Bounding after him, they let out howls and tore at him. Turning away from the grim spectacle, I grabbed my Seraph blade, muttered an apology to it, and started hacking apart dried logs and dragging them into the middle of the meadow. Once I had a large pile, I grabbed my stele and traced the rune for fire on a log. A blaze sprang up, hot and swift, forcing me to jump back from the sudden heat.

A russet colored wolf trotted up to me, blade in it's mouth, and dropped it carefully at my feet. "Thanks," I told him, before turning to the rest of the pack and saying, "Throw the pieces of the vampire on the bonfire to kill it thoroughly."

Willingly they dragged the pieces to the fire, tossing them into the blaze with a flick of their head, similar to the way a normal dog will toss their toys. When they finished, they sat and howled quietly at their conquest.

"Good job, Sam," I told the gray wolf, biting down a smile as it swung around to face me, alarmed. "What, you don't remember me? You found me in the woods with Jace Wayland. You know, blonde, handsome, Shadowhunter...."

The wolf, Sam, nodded slowly, still looking suspicious. "Turns out I'm half Shadowhunter," I confessed, grinning broadly at his wolfish surprise. "So yes, I know what you are. In fact, I'd like to talk to you in human form." He gave me a skeptical look, and I turned around. "I know you pop up naked when you turn back, and I promise I won't look," I called over my shoulder.

There were a few growls and whines, and I snorted. "You'd think you people would get used to running around naked," I muttered to myself.

A warm hand burned on my shoulder, and I turned to find myself face to face with a very solemn Sam Uley. "Why do you wish to speak with me, Isabella Swan?"

I shrugged. "I might as well thank you for saving my skin," I replied, waving a nonchalant hand. Sam stared at my arm, so I stared at it too. I had forgotten that Laurent had scratched it clean open. "That's gonna leave a mark," I muttered, patting my jeans for my stele. It wasn't there. "Has anyone seen something that looks like a shiny metal tube laying on the ground?" I asked, looking on the ground for it.

At a nod from Sam, the wolves trotted around, snuffling through the grass as they looked. One let out a bark, and went to pick it up in it's mouth. "I wouldn't do that!" I called, jogging over to the wolf. "It tends to react badly with non-Nephilim."

Scooping up the stele, I stuck out my tongue childishly and slowly but surely drew the _iratze_, the rune for healing. Sighing in relief as it burned and began to knit my flesh back together, I turned back to Sam and said, "Sorry about that. Vampires have the weirdest urge to try to make me bleed. It's like they want to drink my blood or something."

Cracking a faint smile, Sam said, "I thought you would have learned that by now, since you dated one."

Turning away, I said caustically, "Yeah, but he was a pathetic one. He dumped me anyways." Thinking for a second, I added, "And got me completely lost in the woods for like, five hours."

Sam chuckled a little, and the wolves let out small barking sounds that I took as laughter. "I have a proposition for you, Mr. Uley," I said, all jesting aside.

"And that is?" Sam asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"I know the vampires around here. I know that there's another one coming for me, wanting some idiotic revenge on my ex-boyfriend by killing me. I can't handle a vampire on my own, I'm not a strong enough Shadowhunter yet. I'd rather not put my father in danger, and I'm thinking that you wouldn't want him in danger either. So how about I stick around you and your pack? I could give you some tips on the vampires, and you could keep a close eye on the only Shadowhunter in the area," I said, studying Sam's face in practiced calm.

He thought for a moment, pacing a little. Looking at the wolves, he seemed to judge an answer by their watchful eyes. Turning back to me, he held out his hand and said, "Deal."

Shaking it with a grin, I let out a relieved breath. One round down. "May I ask to meet the members of your pack? As humans?" Again, Sam nodded. Turning my back, I called over my shoulder, "I won't peek, promise." Ignoring the shuffling and sounds of clothes rustling behind me, I watched the flames lick the air and the smoke rise. A sickly sweet stench reached my nose as the wind shifted, and I wrinkled it. It smelled like death.

"You can look now," Sam told me, and I turned to view the three boys in surprise.

"How come you're all so huge and ripped?" I blurted, and they laughed and relaxed visibly.

"Isabella, this is Jared," Sam said, introducing me to tall boy who briefly shook my hand. "This is Paul," I shook the hand of a surly looking man who was gigantic in size. Kind of like a wolfish form of Emmett. "And the last one is-"

"Jacob Black," I said, doing a double take. "Holy Crow you are tall." Standing on my tiptoes to give him a big hug, and I stepped back and told him cheerfully, "The truck still runs like a dream."

Face splitting into a wide grin, Jacob clapped a hand to my shoulder. "Glad your remember me, Bells. How's Charlie?"

"You'd know, he goes fishing with your dad practically every day," I teased, making Jacob grin a little. "He's been all right," I said, a little more seriously. "He's not too thrilled about me being a Shadowhunter. I guess the thought of his little girl trying to kill monsters isn't sitting well with him."

"Does he know about you dating one?" Jacob snorted.

Grinning sheepishly, I admitted, "No. I'd be grounded for the rest of my life if he found out. Which is why it's probably not a good idea to tell him I'm hanging out with a bunch of shape-shifters...."

The wold pack rolled their eyes a little at me, and I shrugged carelessly with a charming smile.

"Why don't we head over to my home and talk about this over some lunch?" Sam offered, and the boys all clamored in agreement. I started to kick some dirt onto the fire, trying to put out the fire. Jared disappeared briefly into the bushes, before coming back out as a wolf. Digging in quick, powerful movements, he easily covered the fire and smothered it. Shaking the extra dirt off of him, he wagged his tail briefly and started to edge towards the trees.

"Think you can keep up?" Jacob asked playfully, crouching down into a runner's starting position.

"I know I can," I retorted, scrawling a rune on my arm for speed, before taking off into the trees. There was barking and laughter behind me, before the wolves caught up with me and tore through the loam at my sides all the way to the Reservation.

- - -

Hope you enjoyed the update! I'll try to keep up the pace to a chapter a day, but finals are coming up so I'm not sure when I'll have as much time. I'll try my dears, I'll try! Reviews very much welcomed!


	7. A soundless lullaby

Oh my dears, I am so terribly sorry! Mucho apologies for being so late! Finals and a nasty headcold took me out for a while, but I promise I'll get back to updating more often!

I own nothing, dearies.

- - -

I was in the lead of the race; skirting around the wolves and dodging between trees. We were racing to Emily's house (per usual) after school, and every day the boys somehow managed to team up and sneak Jacob into the lead. Gritting my teeth when I saw him up ahead, streaking through the trees like a bloodied bullet, I pumped my legs faster after him, kicking up a spray of damp loam and debris as I ran. Angling my path, I launched myself off a fallen tree trunk and yelled as I soared through the air, "Not today, Black!" Twisting into a somersault over his head, I flew a good ten feet in front of him.

Landing with a skitter, I stumbled slightly before charging full speed ahead with a wild half-yell. Scrambling up the steps and bursting through the door, I yelled triumphantly "I win!"

Skidding through the door behind me, Jacob stomped his foot childishly and grumbled, "You cheated!"

"Lies and slander," I said airily, waving my hand flippantly at him. "I won fair and square. You just fail at life."

"That hurts," Jacob said with a faux sniffle, placing a hand over his heart and pulling an anguished face at me. "I'm heartbroken."

"You should be," I replied absently, drifting towards the kitchen. The strong smell of muffins wafted across my nose, making my mouth water as I scurried towards the door. Peeking around the doorframe, I found Emily removing her oven mitts as she glanced at a dish of freshly baked muffins. "Are those blueberry muffins?" I asked, slipping next to Emily.

Jumping a little at the sudden proximity, Emily grinned at me and said, "Yes, they're blueberry. Congratulations on winning your race, Bella."

"Thanks," I said, inching my way towards the muffins, fingers itching to snatch one. "I passed Jacob so fast that I met myself on the way."

Emily laughed, and Jacob yelled from the entryway, "That's a total lie!" His footsteps thudded like someone dropping miniature elephants as he barged into the kitchen and pointed a dramatic finger at me. "You barely squeaked past me at the last second!"

"Technically I launched myself off a log and landed ten feet in front of you, allowing me to use that extra distance to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat," I said in a monotone, deftly snatching a muffin from the cooling rack and juggling it as it burned my palms. "But who was analyzing?" Ignoring the blisters that surely had to form on the roof of my mouth, I bit into the muffin and let out a soft moan. "Emily," I mumbled through a mouth full of muffin. "This muffin is the most fantastic thing I've ever eaten. I could marry this muffin."

"Then you'd be Bella Muffin," Jacob said, grabbing a muffin for himself and nearly dropping it from the heat. "And when you got fat from eating muffins, you'd be Bella Muffin-Top."

"I'd still be married to the delicious muffin," I muttered, biting into it and chewing it slowly.

Shaking her head in amusement, Emily bustled around the kitchen. Pulling ingredients out of the fridge and opening the cupboards, she stretched on her tip-toes to try to reach a large bowl.

Swallowing my last mouthful of muffin, I wordlessly slithered on top of the counter and rose to my feet. The bowl was cool and delicate in my hands; the light shone off the metal in swirls that caught my eye. Sliding into a crouch, I handed Emily the bowl with a small smile before fluidly stepping off the counter and onto the ground as if I had just walked down the stairs.

Thanking me, Emily continued to prepare her food while Jacob gave me an oddly blank look. When I raised a questioning eyebrow, he said quietly, "It's weird, seeing you do things like that. I keep forgetting that you're not the same old Bells."

"What do you mean?" I asked, folding my arms and leaning against the frame of the door.

"You're a Shadowhunter now," he said, looking away with a brief flicker of upset crossing his face.

"And it's hard for you to see your childhood friend being someone you've never seen before," I concluded, looking down at my toes. "Charlie has the same issue. He forgets that I've changed, and when he catches me practicing or working, he'll get all sulky and mutter about how I've changed." Straightening my back, I moved forward to place my hand comfortingly on Jacob's shoulder. "I'm still your friend, Jake. I'm just stronger now."

Turning his head, Jacob grinned shyly at me. Flicking a grin back at him, I turned to help Emily with the cooking.

...

The ocean was always calming for me, but it was rarely so during the evening. The sun was newly vanished from the world, tucked beneath the rim of the horizon and leaving a faint strewing of light that turned the sky an elegant blue. Ignoring the pain that came with twilight, I sank my tired haunches to my heels and folded my arms around my knees. Moodily I stared at the disappearing sun, lips tracing the empty chords of a lullaby that I used to hear. Resting my chin on top of my knees, I let out a small sigh.

"Is Bella Swan not a fan of night time?"

"Not anymore," I replied, not bothering to turn and look at Jacob.

I heard the crunch of his feet on the rocks, the soft grunt he uttered as he lowered himself to sit next to me. For a short while, we didn't speak.

"I used to be afraid of the dark," he said, startling me enough to turn and look at him. I raised a curious eyebrow, and he continued, "My mom would have to put a nightlight in my room every night, and I'd make my dad check for monsters."

I chuckled at the thought of a little Jacob Black, with his blankets drawn up to his nose as Billy searched the room for monsters. "There never were any, but I was still scared. So my mom would sing me a little lullaby," Jacob told me. "After she died, I couldn't stand to hear the song. It broke my heart each time I heard it."

He mulled for a short while in silence, before he let out a nervous laugh and ran a hand through his hair. "I have no idea why I told you that. I don't know if it helps or anything, or even if it applies to you..."

Resting my cheek on my knee to face him, I smiled a genuine smile. "It does Jake. Thanks."

Nodding, he looked down at his feet and kicked them together awkwardly. Turning my head and resting my chin on my knees again, we watched the sky finally drop it's colored veils and slowly reveal the stars.

- - -

Thank you all for your patience! I hope I can update soon after, so please review!


	8. Motorcycles and 1up mushrooms

Warning! For fans of the Mortal Instruments that haven't read the City of Ashes, this chapter and onward will spoil the books for you. :(

I own nothing!

- - -

"Let me get this straight. You managed to give yourself a paper cut with a ribbon, which caused your ex-boyfriend's brother to attack you. At your own birthday party." Face displaying nothing but amused incredulity, Jacob paused in his mending of the motorcycles and leaned against the bike.

"Exactly. I'm telling you, I have the ability to get hurt at the exact worst time possible. It's like some sort of curse," I said, throwing my hand in the air and plopping my butt gently on the hood of his Rabbit.

Shaking his head, Jacob crouched near the engine of the motorcycle and continued his work. "I don't know whether to be impressed or to be worried for you," he told me with a grunt, tightening the bolts.

"Evidently, Cullen thought that he should be worried for me," I said, annoyance evident in my tone.

"Impressed it is," Jacob said cheerily, before he laid aside his wrench and stood up, dusting off his big hands. "She's finished," he declared, turning to grin at me.

Letting out a whoop, I leaped at Jacob and tangled us into a messy hug. We had been working on our motorcycles for almost a month now, and I was itching to ride. Jacob laughed, hugging me back with one arm as his other arm steadied us. "Careful now, Hunter Girl," he said gruffly, disentangling me from him. I let him push me slightly away, unhurt. It had taken him weeks to even allow me to hug him; his werewolf genes always reacted unfavorably towards my Nephilim ones.

I lowered myself into a crouch, gingerly hugging my bike as I crooned lovingly to it. "Such a lovely motorcycle, yes you are," I cooed. "Mama's gonna take good care of you baby, yes she is!" Kissing the chrome of the engine, I stroked the sides of the bike lovingly before I stood to face Jacob. He was trying his best to hide his smirk, but his dimples gave him away.

"Ready to ride?" I asked him cheerily, picking up my helmet and resting it on my hip.

"I suppose we could take them out for a test drive...." Jacob mused, glancing slyly over at his covered bike that had been finished a few days ago.

"I call dibs on driving first," I yelled before he could protest. Grabbing the handle bars, I pushed the bike out of his garage and towards the road. Hissing furiously at every dirt clod that disrupted my path, I uttered a long stream of incoherent insults at the offending clumps. Behind me, I heard Jacob growling out a laugh. I didn't spare him the breath to come up with a retort, and merely pushed the bike faster.

We reached the road after a few minutes. Swinging my leg over the seat and fastening the helmet, I commented lightly to Jacob, "I heard from Jace that some vampires have flying motorcycles."

"Has Cullen ever given you a ride on one?" Jacob asked, straightening his helmet and gripping the handlebars.

"He wouldn't let me have a ride on a merry-go-round," I said darkly, revving the engine with a flick of my wrist. Jacob laughed and kicked the stand back.

And we took off.

The wind howled at me, the cold tearing at my bared neck. A yell of excitement tore itself from my throat, and I screamed for the sheer thrill of it. Somewhere behind me, I heard Jacob laughing uproariously, revving his engine to flit into my peripheral vision. We sped down the streets, flying above the pavement. Trees flew past me, spindles of light against the dark backdrops of Washington. The dotted yellow line of the road became a solid bar of gold as I urged my motorcycle faster, racing Jacob and racing life itself.

There are little words to describe the emotions that surged through me as I rode with Jacob through the abandoned roads near Forks.

We took a break when we had passed the town and started to get closer to Olympia. Parked on the side of the road, we congratulated each other and joked as we sat on our bikes.

"You were flying along there, Bella," Jacob told me, shaking his spiky hair out of his face.

"Thanks. You kept up fairly well, for a guy," I teased.

Bowing his head, Jacob bowed dramatically and said, "I do my best, milady. Shall we head back to my humble abode where we can store our noble steeds?"

Jamming the helmet back on my head, I revved the engine and shouted over the growls, "Last one there has to jump off a cliff."

Jumping back on his bike, Jacob scrambled his helmet to his head and fastened it hastily. "You're on."

The speed limit was forgotten as we sped through the streets, darting around each other as we tried to gain the upper hand. As we neared the Res, I had to swerve around a squirrel, allowing Jacob to shoot by me in a neat display of opportunistic luck. Cursing my misfortune, I sped after him to no avail.

"That was so not fair!" I shouted to him the moment I skidded my bike to a halt.

Grinning as he took off his helmet, Jacob grinned cheekily and said, "Life isn't fair Bells. Go get your swimsuit on."

"Not so fast!" I shouted, holding up a finger. "We never agreed on when this jump had to take place, therefore I can postpone it until a warmer day."

"You mean never."

We bickered as we pushed the bikes into his garage, snapping comebacks like they were rubberbands. When the motorcycles were safely stored under their covers, Jacob walked me back to my truck.

"I had fun today, Bells," he told me, smiling shyly.

"Of course you did," I retorted. "You won the bet." He rolled his eyes as I huffed and said, "Admit it Jacob. You just want to see me in a swimsuit."

"You caught me," he said dryly. "That's the only reason I fixed up these bikes. I just wanted to see you in a swimsuit."

"At least you came clean in the end," I told him reassuringly, patting him on the shoulder and climbing into the driver's seat of my truck. I shut the door, but leaned out of the opened window. "I really did have fun today," I told him, my voice softening as I looked in his eyes.

"I'm glad we could hang out," he said, smiling as he leaned against the top of the window. His elbow hung into the cabin, a relaxed gesture that made me smile a little wider.

It was silent for a moment; one of those awkward silences where you really don't know what to say, but you know you should say something. Neither one of us ended up saying anything, so we nodded a gruff goodbye to each other and Jacob leaned away from the truck and stood off to the side while I drove away. He watched me leave, hands in his pockets and face brooding in my rearview mirror.

. . .

"Where have you been?" Charlie's voice was sharp as he cracked the question at me the moment I set foot in the door.

Pausing in the entryway, I said cautiously, "Hanging out with Jacob?"

"Jacob Black?" Charlie asked, arms folded and mustache bristling with fatherly inquisition.

"I'm thinking that's the one," I said, turning to close the door behind me. "Unless there's another Jacob that lives with Billy."

"Don't get smart with me, young lady," Charlie growled, watching my every move.

"Sorry," I apologized, slipping off my shoes. "I'm just baffled as to why I'm getting the Spanish Inquisition the moment I walk in the door."

"Because," Charlie answered, stumping into the kitchen and gesturing for me to follow. "I found this on our doorstep when I got home."

I followed Charlie into the kitchen, curious to see what he had found.

And I froze.

There, leaning against the counter, was a young man I'd never seen before. At a first glance, he looked harmless enough. He was dressed casually, with dark jeans and a shirt with a 1-up mushroom on it. He seemed a little younger than me, with dark hair falling into his sleepy eyes. His skin was ghostly pale, with a long thin scar tracing across his throat. He raised a hand in hello, but I didn't move.

Staring intently at him, I spat, "Vampire."

- - -

Sorry for the cliffie ending, but it seemed like a good enough spot to end there.

All you Mortal Instruments fans, do you recognize our new vampie? Hmm?

I hope you all enjoyed it! Please review loves!


	9. The other white meat, I mean, vampire

I own nothing (sadly!)

- - -

"Vampire," I spat, hand straying towards the knife tucked in my belt.

"Wait!" he said hastily, raising his hands to show he meant no harm. "My name is Simon. Jace sent me to keep an eye on you, since he won't be home for a while."

I paused, hand on my hip. Nodding towards the kitchen nook, I said coldly, "Have a seat."

Backing cautiously towards the table, Simon sat stiffly in a chair. "I hope you don't plan on killing me right now," he said, staring at the knife on my hip.

"Not yet," I assured him. "That comes after the torture."

He snorted and grinned briefly at me, before muttering, "Yeah, you definitely know Jace."

"So why did Jace send you to babysit me?" I asked, ignoring his comment.

"He's currently stuck in Idris, working on the new treaty," Simon answered, leaning slightly back in his chair. "He said something about how he promised not to be gone so long, but things have been hectic for him." I gave him a curious look, and Simon elaborated. "We're currently trying to open up the treaty to include the other kind of vampires, and maybe even your shapeshifter friends. Personally, I doubt they'll open it up to your wolf buddies. They're just not a prominent group," Simon said, now fully tilted back in his chair and contemplating the ceiling.

"So they're working to include the Volturi? Why didn't they include them before?" I asked Simon, propping my elbows up on the table and forgetting my earlier hostility.

Simon half-shrugged. "I guess they weren't interested last time."

Rolling my eyes, I shook my head slightly and leaned back in my chair. This did explain why Jace hadn't come back yet. But... "You still haven't explained why Jace sent you to babysit me."

"I wouldn't call it babysitting. It's more like I'm here to keep you safe if a higher level demon tries to attack you or something," Simon said. "That, and Jace was feeling guilty about leaving you alone so long, especially since he promised to be back before now."

"Why not send Alec or Isabelle?" I asked, folding my arms crossly.

"Isabelle is busy trying to help Clary and Jace, and there is no chance you can separate Alec and Magnus," Simon said. "So they all voted to send me over." Seeing the irate look on my face, Simon hastily added, "Not that it's a chore for me! I have been wanting to meet the Bella that Jace keeps bragging about." I wasn't softened in the slightest. Simon smiled a little, before saying gently, "Jace was worried about you, Bella. He didn't want to abandon you, or to make you think that he did."

Finally, I nodded. "Do you have a place to stay?" I asked him coolly, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. He shook his head, looking a little abashed, so I turned to Charlie and asked, "Hey Dad, is it okay if Simon stays with us?"

Charlie glared and have an annoyed harrumph, before asking gruffly, "Don't you have anywhere else to stay?"

Shaking his head, Simon gave us both a weak smile. "I never said Jace thought this plan out very well. I'll pretend that he assumed that you'd let me stay."

Muttering to himself, Charlie finally growled out, "Fine. But you have to sleep on the couch. And you have to pull your own weight."

Looking at me, Simon said in conspirational tones, "I hope he doesn't expect me to cook. Ever since I got turned, my sense of taste has never been the same."

. . .

Later that evening, after I had fed Charlie and Simon sat awkwardly nearby, Simon and I settled down on the porch (in perfect sight of Charlie, of course) so we could speak openly.

"How have things been going in Idris?" I asked, resting the back of my head against the railing and draping my arm over my knee.

"Busy," Simon said with a shrug. "If all goes well, maybe you could come visit Jace and meet the others in Idris."

I sat up a little straighter at that. "You mean, I could go there?"

Simon shrugged and gestured broadly. "I don't see why not. You'd have to wait until school gets out, but I'm sure Magnus Bane would make a portal for you. Even if he refused, Clary could still draw us up one," he said with a mischeivous smile.

"Clary can do that?"

"Genetically, she's a little special," Simon told me with a wink.

I nodded. A brief silence reigned between us, each of us lost in our own thoughts.

"I know this sounds strange, but I would like to meet your shape-shifting friends," Simon said, sounding slightly formal. "I know that they dislike vampires, and I would like to be able to help if you're caught in a fight on their turf."

"I'll talk to Sam. I'm sure he won't be entirely unreasonable."

. . .

It took two days to plan, but Sam finally agreed to meet Simon and decide whether he was allowed on Res land or not. We met in a small clearing, not far from the one where we had taken out Laurent. The entire wolf pack stood in the clearing, arms folded across their chests as they glared at Simon. Sam stood in the front; his glare was easily the most acidic. Surprisingly, Billy Black was there too. He sat in his wheelchair, side by side with Sam. I gave him a little wave, but he only nodded briefly in my direction.

"Isabella Swan, who is this that you have brought before us?" Sam rumbled.

"This is Simon Lewis. He is a vampire, but he is a companion of the Nephilim and a trustworthy friend. He was sent here by Jace to keep an eye on me, in case I was in danger."

"In danger from something that we could not protect you from?" Sam asked, looking incredulous.

"No doubt you are all formidable vampire hunters," Simon said suddenly, stepping forward slightly. "But I am used to fighting demons and other forces. You are not accustomed to such attacks, and to be honest, I doubt you would survive. Since I have fought alongside Nephilim, I know what to expect."

Sam looked unconvinced, but Billy spoke up before he could voice any doubts. "You are prepared to fight for Bella and to keep her safe?" he asked, looking Simon right in the eyes.

"Yes."

"Do you drink the blood of humans?"

"I don't normally. I've only drank it once, and that was only in a near-death situation." Unconsciously, Simon rubbed his hand across his throat. "I prefer to drink animal blood."

Billy nodded and asked Simon and I to leave for a short while, so he could discuss matters privately with the pack. We hung around the edges of the clearing, silent and careful not to meet each other's eyes. No need to look guilty to an angry jury.

After a period of around twenty minutes, Billy called us back.

"You are allowed to come onto Reservation land, Simon Lewis. But only if you are needed by Isabella, or if you are invited by a pack member. We will not hesitate to attack if you do so otherwise."

Simon bowed his head slightly, before thanking them each individually. Most of the pack received his thanks neuterally, while Paul and Sam looked distinctly unhappy about it.

After the meeting was over, most of the pack traipsed back through the woods, no doubt headed back for their homes. Jacob stuck around, eyeing Simon cautiously before approaching him. Sticking out his hand, he shook Simon's hand briefly. "I suppose I should welcome you." There was a brief, serious silence before Jacob added impishly, "Just don't cause any trouble or steal my girl, and we'll be good."

Grinning, Simon nodded seriously. "Agreed. But, who's your girl?"

"Bells is," Jacob said pompously, slinging an arm around my shoulder.

"I am?" I asked, tilting my head to stare at Jacob. "Since when?"

"Way to ruin the moment, Swan," he said, hanging his head in mock despair.

"Don't worry Bella, I won't steal you. I'd be killed if I even thought about it," Simon said with a theatric wince. "I don't know who would tear me to shreds first: Jace, Isabelle or Jacob."

"Don't forget Clary," I added. Simon gave me a confused look, and I rolled my eyes. "Just because she can. She's got to be bored if Jace keeps nabbing all the monsters like he usually does."

Simon groaned. "I'm doomed."

- - -

I hope this chapter wasn't too horrendous! Most of you guessed it was Simon (I'm not very subtle, am I?) I hope to update soon again, since I'm all ready working on the next chapter.

To answer a few questions in the reviews:

LaBella Gomez: I think this chapter just answered the questions about the mystery vampire, don't you think? :) I do plan on having Edward make a reappearance, but that's all I'm willing to say about that. Yes, Jace will come back in due time. He likes his dramatic entrances, though.... :)

Thank you all for reviewing!


	10. Extreme sports

Patent totally not pending, so I own nothing. Characters belong to Stephanie Meyers and Cassandra Clare.

- - -

"What do you wanna do today?"

"I dunno, what do you wanna do today?"

"How about we decide on doing something!" Jacob snapped. We had been laying on the floor of his garage, bored out of our minds. It was a warm Saturday afternoon. The sun was shining outside, baking the soil dry from the rain it had last week. There was no breeze, and after midmorning we had all retreated to Jacob's garage for an escape from the sun. Simon looked exhausted, since it was both sunny out and he was awake during the day. He would occasionally doze off whenever we let him be, so I had taken to talking ceaselessly to keep him awake.

"What could we do on a day like today?" Simon moaned from my left. "It's bright and sunny out."

"I don't know, maybe enjoy it like normal people do?" Jacob replied waspishly. Despite Jacob's friendly nature and the month he had taken to get to know Simon, he was still at unease with him.

"But I'm not normal people. I'm not even a normal vampire," Simon replied crankily.

"Guys, knock it off," I whined without much effort. "I heard it's supposed to cloud over soon, so maybe we could head down to the beach and swim."

Turning his head, Simon stared at me blankly. "I don't think I can swim. Running water makes me uneasy."

Jacob muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Stupid vampires," under his breath, but I decided to ignore it. Simon seemed too sleepy to notice.

We ended up playing stupid games like Go Fish for another hour or so. Jacob annihilated the both of us, seeing as I was terrible at cards ( "Seriously Bella," Jacob said with a chuckle. "Never play strip poker.") and Simon kept falling asleep. We were going on our tenth round when Embry came crashing into the garage.

"Jacob! Sam says they've spotted a bloodsucker running through the forest!" he shouted, and Jacob jumped to his feet.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked, scrambling upright.

"We think we can hold her off for now," Embry said. I started to protest, but he cut me off quickly. "I know it seems unfair, but we're going to need backup. Just be on guard and be ready to fight if we call for you."

I wanted to protest, but a stern look and a fractional shake of his head from Simon reminded me of my place. Sighing, I sat back down on the dusty floor of Jacob's garage and said, "Fine. I'll probably be at the beach, if you guys can catch it."

"We'll be back before you miss us, Bells," Jacob promised, before running out the door and shedding his shirt as he went.

Simon and I were left in silence. "Man, I wish I could go fight," I said with a sigh, resting my chin on my hand and looking mournfully at Simon.

"Don't look at me," he said, raising his hands in defeat. "I'm just wishing I could get that buff."

. . .

Two hours passed by. The sunlight dimmed as dark clouds rolled in, and Simon brightened up.

"I'm feeling a lot better, now that the sun's not so bright. Why don't we go down to the beach? You can take a swim, build a sandcastle or something."

"What about you?" I asked.

"I'm lay in the shade and work on my non-existent tan," he replied flippantly. "I'll just hang around on land, in case they need to reach you."

We got up and started towards the beach. The streets were quiet, almost deserted as we went. I caught sight of the cliffs, where I had once seen some of the pack members dive.

"Ooh!" I shouted, running towards the cliffs. "I want to dive!"

Taking a quick peek over the edge, Simon retreated a few steps. "It's a bit high," he said doubtfully. "And it looks like a storm is coming in." Simon was right. The sky was all ready an even darker shade of gray, with low, angry looking stormclouds rolling in. The ocean was a deep blue gray, and farther out the waves roiled and churned. "Are you sure you can manage?"

Scoffing, I rolled my shoulders and bounced on my feet. "It's just like the diving board at the public pool."

"Only with rocks, fast currents, and the possibility of jellyfish," Simon added dourly.

"Lighten up, Si," I said, patting his shoulder. "I'll be fine."

Ignoring all of his protests, I warmed up a little bit longer, before taking a few deep breaths. Winking at Simon and telling him to wish me luck, I jumped.

I had never experienced anything that was so exhilarating or so terrifying. I somersaulted in the air a few times, twisting like a top as I plummetted towards the shine of the dark, moody ocean. My only coherent thought before I smashed into the water was "That looks painful."

Boy, was I right.

I hit the water with a spine-numbing smack, no doubt sending the biggest plume of spray into the air. I rolled and flailed wildly underwater, utterly disorientated as I tried to figure which way was to air. My throat was tightening from the frigid cold, and I nearly screamed as a dark shape loomed towards me. My hands shot out, scraping the rocks of the cliff. The water surged backwards, dragging me farther out into the ocean. I surfaced once, gasping for air and dragging in a deep breath before I was torn underwater again. I struggled, but it everything was starting to get fuzzy and dim. My arms floundered, white against the dim light of the saltwater that stung my eyes. The pain began to fade, though, and my eyes started to drift closed. I was lost; spun around like a ragdoll by the vicious tides. My last thoughts were of Charlie, and my friends. I could almost see Jace now, his golden face striking even in disappointment. Don't give up, he seemed to say. I nodded briefly to his image, and he seemed to float away from me. I swam slowly after him, dragging my leaden limbs through the water. There was a tightness around my chest, squeezing the life out of my lungs. I tried to struggle, but the iron simply grew tighter, and I blacked out.

Pain. There was a pulsating, beating pain in my chest. I dragged in a sharp breath, and choked on water. Heaving myself upright, I coughed out a huge mouthful of water. My lungs burned as I coughed and hacked, and I fell to my forearms as my stomach dispelled the unwanted seawater.

"Thank God," I heard Jacob say. I turned to look, and found myself staring at a drenched, shirtless Jacob.

"What the hell happened?" I wheezed, still coughing.

"You tell me. I was coming up the hill when I saw you dive, and when I got to the top Simon was all ready freaking out. You hadn't surfaced, and I couldn't see you anywhere. I saw you surface once, and I dove for that spot. When I finally surfaced, I couldn't see you. I was afraid you'd drowned. I saw some sort of flash of light to my left, and when I swam over I saw you, about ten feet under the surface. I dove and dragged you back to land, but you had all ready passed out." Jacob covered his face with his hand, and he sat heavily on the ground. "Oh my god, Bella. I thought you died. I seriously thought that you had drowned."

I smiled wearily at him, and reached out to pat his shoulder. "But I didn't, thanks to you."

He nodded, but kept his face turned away as he tried to pull himself together. His shoulders were shaking, and I didn't want to push it.

Footsteps pounded, and I looked up to see Simon come to a skidding, sandy halt at my side. Grabbing my shoulders, he turned my head at all angles as he frantically inspected me. "Are you okay? You look okay. Do you feel okay?"

"My chest hurts," I said lamely.

"That was probably from the CPR Jacob was giving you," Simon said, still inspecting me. He then grabbed me into a rough hug and wailed, "Don't you ever do that again! You nearly scared me back to life! Thank goodness Jacob was there, or.... I don't even want to think about what would have happened," Simon said firmly.

Turning to Jacob, he said gently, "Jacob, do you think you could carry Bella to her truck? I'd carry her myself, but I'd probably send her into hypothermia." Jacob nodded, scooped me up and began to carry me up the beach.

"What happened?" I asked, trying my best to ignore my chattering teeth. Jacob's bare chest was hot, and I snuggled closer for warmth.

"We ran into some red-haired bloodsucker. She was running around the Clearwater's place, before we chased her off," he answered, holding me tighter as he ducked under some low hanging branches.

"Was anyone hurt?" I gasped, trying to look at Jacob's face. It was carefully neutral.

"Harry Clearwater had a heart attack," he said after a few minutes of silence.

"Is he okay?"

Jacob stopped for a moment and stared at me with mournful dark eyes. "No Bells. Harry Clearwater died."

I laid still in his arms as he walked, silent and shocked. I barely felt the jostle of gait, I was so numb and stunned.

By the time we reached the truck, I was shivering despite Jacob's warm body. "Hold her in your lap," Simon instructed, climbing into the driver's seat. "I'll drive." Holding out his hand expectantly, Simon had to wait a few minutes before I figured out what he was waiting for. My fingers clumsy from the cold, I handed him my car keys with shaking hands. His eyes clouded with worry as he started up the truck and pulled out from Billy's house.

He pushed fifty five the entire way back to my house, despite my engine's whining. The moment we reached my driveway, Jacob opened the door but froze midstep. His nostrils flared as he hissed, "Leeches."

Simon slipped out of the car and gathered me in his arms. "I'll take her inside. Hang out here in case there are any others." Not even allowing Jacob to protest, Simon whisked me off.

Opening the door with his elbow, he shouldered his way inside and kicked the door shut with his foot in one fluid motion. He must have noticed my slightly blank stare, because he bashfully said, "It took me years to perfect that move." I smiled, but frowned when Simon set me down by the door and tensed up.

"Who's there?" he demanded. His teeth were bared, and I saw that his fangs were now visible. Something moved in the family room, and Simon crouched and bared his teeth further.

Then Alice walked around the corner, her face drawn and tired. It lit up when she saw me, and she started to rush towards me. Simon caught her by her shoulder and repelled her backwards, hissing furiously and readying for a fight.

"Simon, stop. She's a friend," I said, reaching out to tug on his pants' leg. He glared at Alice, still suspicious as he reached behind himself and gently pulled me upright.

"Who are you and what's your business?" he said icily, tugging me behind him in a protective stance.

"My name is Alice Cullen, and I came because I saw Bella die," she said impatiently, craning her neck to look at me.

Simon turned his head fractionally. "You saw her?"

"She's psychic," I explained, before pushing him out of the way and offering Alice a hug. She stepped back, and I saw her eyes darken. I retreated to behind Simon, and guessed, "You haven't fed for a while, I take it?"

She shook her head. "I rushed all the way here to make sure you were all right."

Folding his arms, Simon said coldly, "Well, Bella's fine. She's a bit cold at the moment, but other than that she's fine and dandy. You can leave now."

"Simon!" I scolded, hitting his shoulder. "Behave. Alice, why did you think I died?" I asked, turning towards her.

"I saw you jump off the cliff, and your future went black," Alice told me. "Bella, why did you jump? Were you really that unhappy?"

I stared. "Wait, you thought I was committing suicide?" I asked, my voice squeaking.

"Well, yeah. Why else would you jump?" she asked, looking both puzzled and sad.

"Ever heard of cliff-diving? It's a wonderfully fun recreational activity. You should try it sometime," I muttered sarcastically. "Well, not when it's all stormy like this."

"You were cliff-diving?" Alice demanded. "Since when were you into extreme sports?"

Simon and I exchanged a look. "Alice, you might want to sit down...."

- - -

All right loves! Two updates in one night!

I'm hoping to follow the New Moon plotline at least mildly, so everyone welcome back Alice! (Anyone thinking that Alice and Simon will ever get along? I'm not willing to bet on it )

Please review and tell me your wonderful opinions and critiques.


	11. Rescue Team, Go!

I own nothing but the noodles in my noggin called a brain!

- - -

"You're a Shadowhunter?!" Alice demanded.

I nodded. Behind me, Simon lurked in the shadows of the room, pacing like a trapped wildcat.

"You're a Shadowhunter? Like, a real Shadowhunter? Marks, swords, demons and everything?" Alice asked, still looking completely thrown off.

"The whole package," I assured her.

At this, Alice slumped back in her chair and ran her hand wearily over her face. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" she finally mumbled.

"I only found out a few months ago," I said, fidgeting with the dry shirt and jeans that I had changed into. "I guess my mom was a Shadowhunter, but she gave it up to marry my dad." I gave a dry little laugh. "Look how well that turned out."

"They got you, didn't they?" Simon asked, smiling a little at me. "I'd say it worked out pretty well, then."

Nodding in gratitude towards him, I folded my arms behind my head and looked casually at Alice. "So what have I missed in the Cullen clan?" I asked.

Alice's face fell, almost imperceptibly. "Rosalie and Emmett just got back from traveling, and Jasper and I have stayed with Carlisle and Esme."

"What about Edward?" I asked, feigning interest in the throw pillow.

"He's been... tracking." I looked up at that, curiosity aroused. "He's been trying to hunt down Victoria, but he's had no luck." Alice looked away, before added quietly, "We haven't heard from him for a few weeks now."

I nodded absently, picking at the embroidery on the pillow. Behind me, Simon swiveled towards the door and announced loudly, "Jacob, Alice is still here. I don't think-"

But whatever Simon thought was cut off by Jacob barging through the door. His eyes were dark with anger as he glared at Alice. "Leave," he snapped, and she let out a little growl.

"Bella, you've been hanging out with this mongrel?" she said with a sneer.

Jacob returned the look and snapped back, "Bella, you know this filthy leech?"

Simon looked affronted. "Hey, I'm not filthy!"

"Shut up Simon," Jacob said gruffly. "You know I didn't mean you."

Simon shrugged and put his hands in his pockets, before casually saying to Alice, "I know it sounds unfair, but you really should leave. Jacob can be very protective of his friends, and I doubt that Bella wants to break up a fight between you two."

Alice didn't move. "Alice," I said, turning to her with my biggest, saddest eyes. "I know that you need to hunt. So why don't you just go nab a really big deer smoothie and come back after that?" When she stayed, unconvinced, I got up and gently guided her towards the back door. "I'll be fine," I assured her. "I'm used to big lunks of teenage guys running around my house. I can handle them."

Alice started to protest, but I opened the door and pushed her outside. "Go!" I urged. "I'll be perfectly fine."

With a reluctant growl, she turned and trotted off into the forest. Nodding with satisfaction, I turned to go back inside and found myself face to face with Jacob.

"We need to talk," he said. I nodded, slightly alarmed. Behind me, Simon made a gesture that excused himself and left the room.

"What's up?" I asked, walking back towards the couch. Catching my arm, Jacob led me into the kitchen and leaned against the counter.

"Are you going to allow her to stay?" he asked, his voice as low as his mood.

I shrugged half-heartedly. "She's an old friend, Jacob. I can't exactly kick her out after I've only seen her for ten minutes."

"But is she staying?" Something in his face told me that Jacob didn't mean just Alice.

"I can't tell if she's going to stay or not," I answered quietly. "And I don't know if her coming back means that the rest of her family is returning as well. I want to stay friends with her, Jacob. Just like I want to stay friends with you." At that, I reached out and gently placed my hand on his shoulder.

Jacob moved closer, his eyes burning into mine. "I don't want to lose you, Bella," he told me.

Pulling Jacob into a hug, I whispered, "I know, Jake. I don't want to lose you either." His arms tightened around me, crushing me to his chest as he buried his face in my hair. We stood there for a moment, me wrapped up in the warmth of his arms and Jacob wrapped in my pale ones.

The phone rang.

"What a way to kill the moment," I said with a weak laugh.

Jacob wordlessly reached for the phone and picked it up, saying, "Swan residence."

He was quiet for a moment, but his arms tightened around me as his face darkened. "No, Charlie isn't available. He's planning a funeral right now," he said, hanging up the phone. Seeing my expression, he said hastily, "They hung up first!"

Shaking my head, I asked him, "Who was it, Jacob?"

"Carlisle Cullen," he said with a sneer.

Surprised, I looked at him. "Why didn't you let me say hello?" I asked, a little wounded.

"They didn't ask for you," Jacob said with a shrug. "They asked for Charlie."

As I opened my mouth to further question Jacob, there was a crash and a bang as Alice ran into the kitchen through the back door. "Bella!" she yelled, looking horrified. "What did you tell Edward?"

"Edward?" I asked, nonplussed.

"We just got off the phone with Carlisle," Jacob said, similarly confused.

"That wasn't Carlisle," Alice moaned. "That was Edward. What did you tell him?"

I looked to Jacob, and he muttered, "I told him Charlie was planning a funeral." Seeing Alice's face, he added defiantly, "I didn't say it was Bella's!"

"But you didn't say it wasn't!" Alice said, groaning and pinching the bridge of her nose. I was struck by this similarity to Edward with a brief fluttering of tingling surprise. "This is bad. This is very bad," Alice said, rubbing her temples.

"What's bad, Alice?" I asked, focusing my attentions entirely on her.

"Edward's going to the Volturi," Alice explained.

"The who?" Jacob asked, head swiveling back and forth as he tried to follow our conversation.

I thought for a second, back on what Jace had taught me, before answering. "They're the vampire royalty. Kind of like Sam for the pack." I looked to Alice for affirmation, and she nodded. "But Alice, why is Edward going to the Volturi?"

"He wants them to kill him," she said, sounding choked. "He doesn't want to live without you."

This took a second to sink in for me. When it did, I straightened my shoulders and walked towards the front door. Flinging it open, I yelled, "Simon!"

He appeared by my side in an instant, eyes bright as he caught my mood. "What's happening?" he asked, slipping past me into the entryway.

"I don't have time to explain," I said, starting up the stairs. "Simon, I need you to contact Jace somehow and tell him I need to call him. Get Magnus Bane too, and tell him to get ready to get us a Portal to Volterra. It's life or death!" I yelled over my shoulder, and slipped into my bedroom.

I heard Simon running around downstairs as I dug through my drawers looking for my gear. Tearing off my clothes, I changed quickly into tight black shorts and a sleeveless top. Turning on my heel, I dug through my closet for my stele and swords. To my surprise, I found a small bag filled with weapons. At first I was baffled, but when I saw the familiar hilt of a Seraph blade, I realized that Jace must have hidden them for me. Touched, I grabbed two Seraph blades, an electrum whip and my stele. I passed over the bulkier weapons, knowing that I would have to travel lightly. I ended up grabbing a hunk of metal that turned into a staff. Tucking them all into my belt, held my stele in my hand and ran down the stairs.

"Jacob, I have a pair of black boots in the downstairs closet. Could you grab them for me?" I asked, slowing so I could scrawl a rune for speed on my arm. Exiting the kitchen, Simon spoke briefly into his cell phone and handed it to me. "Hello?" I asked, tucking the phone between my shoulder and my ear.

"Bella, what's going on?" Jace's voice buzzed into my ear.

I filled him in as quickly as I could. "You remember how I told you how I told you about how Alice can see the future?" I asked. "Well, Alice saw me cliff-diving, but she didn't see me swim back to shore, so she assumed that I had killed myself."

"Why were you cliff-diving in the first place?" Jace interrupted me.

"It was there and I was bored," I said impatiently. "Anyways, Edward got wind of this and assumed, like Alice, that I had committed suicide. So he called, but pretended to be Carlisle. Jacob answered, and when Edward asked for Charlie, Jacob told him that Charlie was planning a funeral."

"Is he?" Jace asked.

"Yes, but it's a family friend's funeral," I said, nodding in thanks as Jacob handed me my boots.

"So what's this got to do with someone's life at stake?" Jace asked, now sounding slightly confused.

"I was getting to that," I said, tugging my boots on with one hand. "So Edward has decided that he can't live without me, and has gone to the Volturi to ask for them to kill him."

"Idiot," I heard Jace mutter, and I laughed a little. "So what's your plan?"

"After Charlie comes home and I explain things to him, I need you to ask Magnus to set up a Portal taking Alice and I to Volterra. Could you meet us there?" I asked.

"No problem," Jace said, and I heard voices buzzing in the background. "What time do you want the Portal set up?"

"What time will Charlie be home?" I asked to no one in particular.

Alice frowned and shrugged. Jacob glanced at the clock and said, "I'd say in about in an hour or so."

"Charlie will be back within the hour, and it'll take me about twenty minutes to explain things to him," I told Jace.

"So a Portal in an hour and a half?" Jace asked, before repeating the time to someone in the background.

"Yeah," I said, zipping up my last boot. "Will Magnus do it?" I asked.

"He'll do it," Jace replied, and I could hear the smirk in his voice. "He'll complain, but he'll do it."

I grinned broadly, before saying, "See you in Volterra."

- - -

I was considering adding more, but I think this seems like a pretty good spot to end the chapter. :)

To answer some questions in the reviews:

LaBella Gomez: I'm not really a fan of Edward, but I'm still deciding on what I'll do with him in the story. Jace very much so is with Clary (I'm setting his timeframe to be after The City of Glass) so no, there won't be any JacexBella in the story. I'm not even sure if I'll add a romantic interest, but if the opportunity appears, then I'll put it in.

rubyred753: Simon is a fun character, so I had to put him in there. :) Glad you love him being in the story.

Runs With Horses: I guess this chapter answers a bit of the Jace and Bella question.

To all the others who reviewed: Thank you all so much! I love hearing feedback from you guys. Feel free to ask questions and give critiques, they're very helpful.


	12. The Volturi

I own nothing.

- - -

The hour I spent waiting for Charlie was filled with last minute preparations. I etched on the last of my Marks (I could only stand to draw four or so on me), checked all of my weapons for efficiency and tried to prepare myself of what I was going to tell Charlie. I made sure that Jacob and Billy would have room for Charlie to stay, in case it took us a while to get Edward. Simon had promised to keep an eye on both Charlie and the house for me while I was gone.

Alice was upstairs, packing a change of clothes for me when Charlie finally walked through the front door. "Bells, I'm home," he began, but stuttered to a halt when he saw me standing in the entryway, dressed in full battle gear. "What's going on?" he asked, dropping his coat on the ground and reaching for his gun.

"Edward's in trouble," I told him flatly.

"Big trouble," Alice added, flowing smoothly down the stairs as she handed me a draw-string backpack.

"Alice," Charlie said, doing a slight double-take at the sight of her. A reluctant smile spread from under his moustache. "What are you doing here? Is everyone back now?" he asked, looking baffled.

"She came back to check on me. Edward heard through the grapevine that I had died, and now he's gone off to the Volturi in an attempt to 'be with me'," I explained, unabashedly drawing air-quotation marks around Edward's reasoning.

"What, like suicide?" Charlie asked, alarmed.

"Yup. So Alice and I are going to try to get to Volterra to stop him. Jace is meeting us there," I added, swinging the bag on my back.

Charlie was silent for a moment as he ran a hand through his hair. He looked at me shrewdly, before quietly asking, "You've made up your mind, huh?" I nodded, my throat inexplicably too tight to speak. Charlie sighed, bent down to pick up his jacket and said gruffly, "Make sure you keep Jace's nose clean. I don't want to have to pay bail for that boy."

Throwing my arms around Charlie's neck, I hugged him tightly. "I love you Dad," I whispered.

He hugged me gruffly, his whiskers tickling my bare shoulder as he mumbled, "Be safe, Bella."

Stepping back at the same time, I checked my watch and said hoarsely, "We should get going. Magnus Bane has arranged a Portal for us and he hates to be kept waiting."

Alice and I left through the back door and waited in the backyard, while I gave Jacob one final hug goodbye. "Have a good time in Italy," Jacob told me. "Don't beat up Cullen too badly. I'd be pretty devastated if you died, too." Ducking his head as his cheeks flushed, Jacob gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. Before the blood could even warm my face, there was a flare of light to my left. Turning towards the Portal, I gave a weak wave to the others, grabbed Alice's hand, and led her through the Portal without a backwards glance.

Now, I've never traveled through a Portal before. Jace described it to me once, but it was way worse than he could describe. I was being thrown through space as people and places blurred by in a stream of light and overwhelming noise. I clutched Alice's hand tightly, wanting desperately to squeeze my eyes shut. My eyelids didn't seem to agree. The images screaming by gave me a blazing headache, and I nearly screamed when I saw something dark looming up ahead. I had barely raised my arm to brace for some sort of impact when I was launched out of the tunnel and thrown to cold concrete. I groaned a little, rubbing at my sore elbow before sitting up. A hand appeared in front of me; Jace was grinning as he stood nearby.

"I should have known that balance rune would have absolutely no effect on you," he teased.

"Jace!" I said with a laugh, scrambling upright and hugging him fiercely.

Grabbing my waist, Jace swung me around and around until I was giggling and completely dizzy. Setting me down, he placed his warm hands on my shoulders and looked at me earnestly. "It's fantastic to see you again, Bella," he said quietly, pulling me into a tender hug.

Behind us, Alice cleared her throat. Twisting the both of us so we could face her, Jace gave her a charming smile and said, "Hello, young lady. You must be the famous Alice that Bella told me about."

Shaking his proffered hand, Alice said dryly, "And you must be the infamous Jace that everyone keeps warning me about."

"The very one," Jace said cheerfully, winking. Turning to me, Jace gave me a devilish smile and clapped his hands together. "Now! Something tells me that you two lovely ladies are not here to vacation."

"We are trying to save my brother, in case you've forgotten," Alice said irritably.

"All in due time, mademoiselles," Jace reassured her. Tossing an arm around my shoulder, he said in secretive tones, "You may have noticed, but it's only five in the morning here. Unless you want to be arrested for being out past curfew, I suggest you follow me."

. . .

Jace ended up leading us to a small motel, where he paid the sleepy looking manager for a room. When we were shown to our room, Jace flung open the door with a dramatic whisper, "Our secret lair, if you will." Pushing past him with a giggle, I hardly even glanced at the decor before slumping on one of the two queen-sized mattresses. "You should get some sleep," Jace quipped from the doorway. "You've skipped an entire night's worth of sleep, so you'll need all the rest you can get." I didn't need telling twice. I was asleep before Jace even closed the door.

. . .

When I first woke up, I was completely disorientated. "What?" I managed stupidly, rubbing at my eyes.

"I said, get up!" said Jace from somewhere near me. A pillow thumped me upside the head, and I rolled over to find Jace sitting next to me on the mattress. "It's time to go!" he growled impatiently. "My pity was used up when I let you sleep in an extra ten minutes. Get up!"

"You're so generous," I yawned, rolling out of bed.

"Yes, yes, I'm a real giver," Jace said, remaking the bed in a matter of seconds. "I'm practically Mother Theresa. Now get your lazy butt moving so we can go save your boyfriend."

"Ex-boyfriend," I corrected him, running my fingers through my hair. I didn't even want to think about how bad my bedhead was.

Lucky for me, Jace thought for me. "Good, now you look less like Medusa and more like a demented hair metal guitarist," he told me, grinning a little.

"Shut up," I told him, but my scowl was interrupted by a yawn.

"Stop bickering and let's go!" Alice snapped from the doorway. Jace and I muttered rebelliously, but otherwise left the room quietly. "Are you always like this?" Alice hissed at me as I left.

"No," Jace answered for me. "You should see us on Poker nights."

. . .

We walked quickly through the streets of Volterra ( jogged in my case, because I couldn't keep up with Alice). Jace led us to the town square. I was mesmerized by the glittering of the fountain. I started to veer towards it, but Jace grabbed my wrist and tugged me back towards him. "We're probably being watched," he murmured in my ear. "It's best if we stay focused."

When I nodded, Jace dropped his grip from my wrist to my hand, and held my hand loosely in his. I didn't question his choice of covering up his grab for my arm, and simply walked next to him in silence. We approached a building, ancient and ornate. Alice went to go pick the lock, but Jace's hand on her shoulder stayed her. "We wait," Jace said firmly. His glare silenced her protests, so she folded her arms and stood aloof.

Three minutes passed by, before two robed figures approached us. Silently they beckoned for us to follow them. "Come along," Jace said quietly, slipping his arm around my shoulders to steer me along. Alice slipped past Jace and walked slightly in front of him, but Jace did not object to that.

We followed the hooded, robed figures through a dark tunnel that echoed and seemed to glisten. I unconsciously shrank back into Jace's side, and his arm tightened around me. He pressed his lips to my temple and made soft, soothing noises. Embarrassed a bit by my fear, I ducked my head but stayed very close to Jace's side. Even my pride could not tear me away from my fear.

Out of the gloom arrived a door. The two figures gestured for us to go through. Alice confidently pushed open the doors and stormed through like a miniature hurricane, while Jace slipped in behind her with me at his side. Briefly dazzled by the sudden flare of light, I looked dumbly at Jace. His hair seemed to glow in the mid-morning sun streaming through the windows that lit up his face in a healthy gold. Eyes half-closed and sheilded by white lashes against the glare, he turned his head and flashed his teeth in a brief smile. A woman greeted us in Italian, and Jace bowed his head and gravely returned the greetings. She giggled, and looked back to her computer screen at her desk. We continued past her desk, led by our impassive guides down a hallway.

We halted outside a beautiful set of doors. Jace turned to me and gave me a stern look. "Bella," he said firmly. "I want you to stay out here." Holding up a finger to stem my protests, he told me in low tones, "No doubt Lord Aro is dying to meet you, and will soon send for you to be received. It will have a better effect. Trust me," he breathed, running his hand against my cheek.

Biting my lip, I slowly nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Satisfied, Jace turned and nodded towards the two guards, before briskly entering the room beyond with Alice close behind. I heard him call a greeting to someone named Aro in rapid Italian. Before the doors closed, I heard someone call, "Jace Wayland! A delight!" and the cacophony of chuckles that came with it.

The doors closed, halting the sound with them. I went to chew on my fingernails, but stopped myself before I did. Forcing my hand down by my side, I looked around me to distract myself. The hall was carpeted with red fabric, and the stone walls had a few exquisite paintings every few feet. Turning back, I shot a brief look at the two guards standing on either side of the door. They did not even spare me a look. I waited patiently for a few minutes, poised to walk in there as elegantly as I could. Ten minutes passed, and I began to grow bored. I inspected my Marks, ran my fingertips along my weapons, and adjusted my clothes. When I was about ready to redo my hair, the doors pushed open and laughter spilled out. Jace's grinning face appeared first, and he told me with a wave, "Come on in. Lord Aro wants to meet you."

Fearlessly ( at least, I tried to portray it ) I followed Jace through the doors. The first sight that struck me was the sheer size of the room. It was made out of beautiful marble, with tapestries hanging and gilded mouldings all around. The second thing was the raised dias that held three thrones, all occupied by three male vampires. They looked regal and handsome, all with red eyes. The one in the middle smiled brightly at me, and gestured grandly for me to step forward. "Come forward, my dear! No need to be shy!" I walked smoothly to the dias, and made a small curtsey. His smile broadened, revealing his perfect while teeth. "So you are the famous Bella!" he said cheerfully, beckoning me closer again. "I have heard so much about you; first from Edward and lastly from dear Jace!"

Smiling shyly, I bowed my head politely, not daring to risk a look to locate Edward. "It is an honor to meet you, Lord Aro," I said.

"The pleasure is all mine, my dear," he practically purred. "Now tell me, my dear girl. How did poor Edward receive such terrible news of your death?" Aro asked, gesturing to Edward.

I risked a peek then, and nearly stepped backwards in shock. Edward looked... terrible. The dark circles under his eyes looked nearly black, his hair was a mess, and his clothes hung rumpled on his frame.

"I believe he first heard the news through his sister, Rosalie," I said, looking for Alice's affirming nod. "Rosalie heard from Alice, who saw me in a vision, jumping off of a cliff."

"And did you?" Aro asked, leaning slightly forward.

"I did," I admitted. "But not to end my life. I was doing a recreational activity known as cliff-diving. It's rather common in La Push," I explained.

"And Edward heard of a funeral?" Aro asked, nudging the topic along.

I nodded. "Yes. There was a death of a family friend. My father went to comfort the widow and to help the preparations for the funeral."

"Such a pity," Aro said, but his eyes glowed red as ever. "My condolences." I bowed my head. Clapping his hands together, Aro said brightly, "You must forgive my eagerness, my dear. But I am so curious about why young Edward cannot read your mind."

"I suspect it may have to do with her being one of the Nephilim," Jace piped up from my left. "Even un-Marked, Nephilim children are predisposed to fight. Perhaps she was born with another set of protection, in case of any other sort of attack."

Aro nodded, still smiling. "Perhaps, perhaps. Now Bella, would you mind terribly if I were to look at your mind?" I shot a brief look to Jace, which Aro intercepted. "It's my gift, my dear. I need only to touch a person, and I can see all of their memories, their thoughts and their experiences." Jace nodded to me, and I stepped forward. "Excellent," Aro crooned, and stood up as well. I placed my hand delicately in his pro-offered hand, and watched anxiously as he bowed his head forward, as if to read more clearly. His brow furrowed, and he gave a quiet little noise of thought. "Nothing," he said, sounding astonished. "Absolutely nothing. Perhaps it is not simply because she is a Shadowhunter, young Jace. It could be her gift."

"She cannot be changed, Aro," Jace said, looking bored. "You know that."

Aro nodded, a look of regret on his face. "Indeed I do. I wonder...." Aro turned slowly to a robed figure that was smaller than the rest of them. "Jane, dear, perhaps we should test to see if your gift works on her?"

"No!" Edward snarled, starting to lunge forward. Jace caught him around the waist and pushed him back to Alice, who reluctantly held him back. "Don't! You'll hurt her!" Edward cried, struggling against his sister.

Jane pulled her hood back, revealing a pretty blonde girl with blood-red eyes. "This may hurt a bit," Jane said with a smirk, and stared intently at me.

I didn't move. I simply waited for something to happen. Nothing did. Jane gave a little growl, narrowed her eyes and stepped towards me.

After a few minutes, Jace said dryly, "I think it's safe to assume that Bella is immune to your powers, Mistress Jane."

She growled and started towards me again, but was halted by Aro's upraised hand. "No, Jane dear. Thank you," Aro said coolly. Focusing on Jace, Aro said smoothly, "You will return Edward home to his family, I assume."

"Yes," Jace said, bowing his head. "We will arrange for a Portal momentarily." Aro nodded, and sank back into his chair. "Thank you for allowing us audience, Lord Aro," Jace said politely, twisting in a bow.

"The pleasure was mine, Jace," Aro told him. "Although next time you visit, hopefully it will be for pleasure, not for business of the Clave."

"That is my hope as well," Jace replied, and offered his arm to me. I took it, and we bowed again once more.

"Thank you again," I said, and Aro smiled fondly at me.

"Come again, my dear. It was a delight to meet you."

Turning, we left the beautiful marbled hall with it's glorious, deadly lords. When the doors shut behind us, Jace let out a long, steady sigh. "Thank the Angel that's over," he said with a tired smile.

Edward appeared by my side, giving me a mournful look and asking, "Bella, may I have a word with you?"

"I'll go ask Magnus for a Portal and eavesdrop elsewhere," Jace said, slipping down the hall. Alice followed, pressing her hand to her brother's shoulder before she left.

For a moment, Edward simply stared at me. "I thought you were dead," he finally said, his voice unusually hoarse.

"I almost was," I said, shrugging a little. "I was lucky Jacob was there to drag me out of the water."

Edward nodded blankly, before tentatively reaching out to stroke my hair. I allowed my eyes to sink halfway closed, but I didn't pull away. My heart didn't beat fast like it used to, and no blush rose to my cheeks.

"I missed you," Edward choked out.

This time, I was the one who nodded blankly. "It was rough, when you first left," I told him bluntly.

"Not anymore?" he asked.

Again, I shrugged. "Not anymore. I've been keeping myself busy. I made some new friends, picked up a new hobby and have been training." Looking away, I said a little more quietly, "Let's not have this conversation now."

Not really waiting for a reply, I walked over to Jace. He was dusting ash off of his hands, and he gave me a smile and a tender hug when I reached his side. He kept his arm around me until a flare of light appeared a few feet away, where I walked with Alice through the Portal, with Jace and Edward following.

The terror of the trip was dulled by how drained I was, emotionally and physically. I didn't scream, I didn't clutch blindly at Alice's hand. I simply kept my eyes closed until my I fell to the ground and breathed in the smell of loam and rain.

Home.

- - - -

Whew! Action-y chapter completed! I do intend to continue Edward and Bella's little talk, probably in the next chapter or so.

In reply to my reviewer(s):

Hazelholly (and to other JacexBella fans): It seems that people would really like to see Jace and Bella together! Unfortunately, I never really planned any romance between the two, and I'm loathe to tear apart Jace and Clary. So unfortunately, there will be no JacexBella in this story.

(I did do a chaste little cheek-kiss for Jacob fans out there! Hopefully I can develop some love interests for Bella)

Please read and review! I love hearing feedback from you guys!


	13. Someday

My apologies for this chapter being so late! I've been so out of it lately.... I own nothing!

- - -

Ignoring the desire to continue to lay in the soft loam, I pushed myself upright and calmly dusted myself off. Behind me, Jace pulled Edward to his feet. I heard him mutter something about newbies and face-planting, but I didn't bother to comment.

"Edward!" I heard someone shout. Looking up, my hand automatically jerked to my Seraph Blade as someone ran towards us. Normally they'd be a blur, but the runes for sight kicked in and allowed me to recognize Esme as she pulled Edward into a flying hug. "All you all right?" she demanded, pulling away only to fuss over him. "You're not hurt in any way, are you?"

"I'm fine, Esme," Edward mumbled, shamefaced.

"Don't you ever scare us like that again!" Esme scolded, wrapping Edward into a hug. "You had us all worried sick!"

The rest of the Cullen family walked over. Jasper went to Alice's side and wrapped her in his arms before kissing her thoroughly. Jace and I rolled our eyes at each other. Carlisle walked over to Jace and shook his hand firmly. "Thank you for bringing Edward back safely," he said.

"No problem," Jace said, charming as usual. "It was a pleasure, really. It was wonderful to see Aro again."

"And Jane?" I added dryly.

"Not her," Jace said, brutally honest. "She irritates me. What is it with vampires and being all sadistic?"

"Maybe she likes you," I joked.

"Or maybe she likes you," Jace retorted. "After all, she was the one who was so determined to see you writhing on the floor for her." I laughed, while Alice and Edward winced.

I met Alice's eyes with a questioning look. "What's with the face?"

"She unnerves us," Alice said, shooting a look towards Edward for confirmation. "It seems... unnatural to us for someone to be able to drop a vampire to the ground like she can."

Jace met my eyes, before looking away with a grin. "Bella can drop a vampire," he told Alice, sending me a smirk. "All she has to do is give them a good kick to the gonads and he's down for the count."

I shoved him over. "Ignore him," I told them collectively. "He's just being an attention-whore."

"I prefer attention-prostitute," Jace told me, straightening his collar imperiously.

At that, the entire Cullen clan went over to talk to Edward and Alice. Jace and I hung back and watched them interact. Alice, still wrapped up in Jasper's arms, talked rapidly to Carlisle about things that I couldn't quite hear. Edward was still being mothered by Esme and by the looks of it, scolded by Rosalie. Emmett watched his wife with faint amusement, and gave Edward a 'what can you do?' shrug. He clapped Edward on the shoulder and said, "Glad to have you back, man."

"We didn't do half bad," Jace observed from my right. I nodded in agreement. Turning to me, Jace leaned against the tree and said quietly, "I'm pretty sure all of the others will be joining us soon."

I didn't answer.

"I think even Magnus is coming to see you," Jace continued. "And I'm pretty sure I'm speaking for all of them when I say that we'd love to have you come with us."

"To Idris?" I asked, looking at Jace through my peripheral vision.

He nodded. "For a short time. But we're planning on returning to the Institute after that."

I sighed, and rested the back of my head against the tree trunk. "I don't know," I admitted. "I'm not sure I want to leave Charlie. Or Jacob, for that matter."

"Speaking of Downworlders," Jace said, standing up straighter. "Here come our favorite ones."

I looked to my left, and saw Simon and Jacob jogging towards us. The Cullens' quieted and turned to look, but Jacob didn't even glance their way. When he saw me, he broke out into a run and tackled me into a hug. Simon, on the other hand, slowed down considerably and watched Jace warily. Grinning like a wolf who's cornered it's prey, Jace advanced towards Simon. "Cliff-diving, huh?" he asked, circling Simon.

Simon turned with Jace. "She thought it would be fun," Simon said, looking nervous.

"Loads of fun," Jace hissed.

"It wasn't even that high!" Simon protested.

"Just a coupla dozen feet," Jace said, eyes glowing.

"You know I couldn't dive!" Simon said, mewling now. "I can hardly go near the ocean."

"Oh, I know," Jace said, crouching. "That's why I'm so pissed!" Charging at Simon, Jace grappled him to the ground and began to wrestle him. "Why would you let her cliff-dive if you knew you couldn't do anything to save her?" Jace grunted as he tried to pin Simon.

Wiggling out from under him, Simon tried to skitter away. "Because she's that stubborn and because I thought she wouldn't need saving!" Simon snapped, growling as Jace dragged him back.

"Then lock her in her car or something!" Jace yelled, jumping on Simon.

"You try that and tell me how it goes!"

They tussled for a bit, growling and insulting each other. Partly mortified and partly amused, I shook my head before walking slowly towards them. Sunlight glinted off of Simon's fangs, and I decided to interrupt there. Grabbing them both by the collars, I solidly whacked their heads together. They both groaned and clutched at their skulls, before I shook them both soundly. "Enough!" I snapped, bodily tossing Simon to one side and Jace to the other. "You're both acting like idiots." Turning to Simon, I gave him a disparaging look. "Really now? With all your vampire strength, you can't even pin Jace?" I rolled my eyes, before turning dangerously back to Jace. "Jace, you know what I'm like. I do what I want and never pay attention to the consequences." Growling a little, I stepped menacingly towards Jace. "And 'Just lock her in her car'? Really? I would pay good money to see you try," I hissed. Jace gulped nervously, scooting away on his butt. "Now, you two apologize right now, before I make you kiss and make up. Am I understood?" I snapped, giving them my most murderous look.

"Yes," they grumbled, standing up and walking slowly towards each other.

"Sorry I didn't take care of Bella like you asked," Simon mumbled.

"Sorry I tried to kill you," Jace said, kicking the ground and giving me a sulky look.

"That's better," I said, satisfied. Turning back to Jacob, I gave him a charming smile and a hug and said brightly, "It's fantastic to see you again, Jake."

"You're very scary, you know that?" Jacob said, giving me a wary hug in return.

"I know," I said brightly.

I picked up the sounds of someone trying to sneak up behind me, and turned to smile at the startled Emmett. "Yes?" I asked sweetly.

"When did you get so scary?" Emmett asked, looking thoroughly stunned.

"When I started training with that guy," I said, jerking my thumb over my shoulder at Jace. Who, incidentally, was jumping about thirty feet in the air to catch a butterfly. He landed with a soft thump, and smiled into his opened hands at the butterfly fanning it's wings.

Emmett stared. "He's not normal, is he?" he asked.

"Nope!" Jace called, releasing the butterfly with a flick of his hands.

"He's only half-human," I explained.

Sneaking up behind me, Jace snagged my blade from my thigh sheath and darted away, twirling it around his fingers. "Half human, but all sex appeal," he said, winking rougishly at me.

"Give me back my knife," I told him.

"Make me," he sneered, sticking his tongue out at me.

So I did. We wrestled and sparred for quite some time, bantering and squabbling like little kids. I somehow managed to successfully flip him on his back, and snatched the blade back from him.

"Ha!" I shouted, darting back to skid behind Jacob. Turning, I found myself face to face with Edward. Yelping in surprise and nearly knocking Jacob over, I clutched at my pounding heart and said, exasperated, "Don't do that! Sneaking up on a girl when she's got a knife is a really bad idea!"

"Can we talk?" Edward asked quietly, not apologizing.

I glanced over at Jace, who was determinedly examining his knives. Sighing, I gestured for Edward to walk alongside me through the woods. "Let's go," I said, walking ahead.

Edward easily kept pace with me as I steadily climbed through the brush and logs in the woods. The others quickly dropped out of hearing range, but I didn't slow my pace one bit. Edward finally spoke up, "Do you know where you're going?"

"Nope," I said, stubbornly not looking at him. "I don't care to know either."

We walked on in silence for a while, before Edward halted. I continued to walk on for a while, waiting for him to ask me to stop before I would. After I began to disappear from his view, I heard his footsteps crashing after me. "Bella, wait!"

I stopped and abruptly turned to face him, unflinching as he skidded to a halt in front of me. "Yes?" I asked.

"Can we - Can we talk now?" Edward asked, nervously stepping back.

"Sure," I said, plopping down right where I stood. "Say your piece," I told him, waving for him to sit down in front of me.

Lowering himself to the ground, Edward fidgeted with his sleeves. "I want to explain myself," he began nervously. "When I left you, it was the biggest mistake of my life." I didn't react. After a pause, he continued on. "I wanted you to be safe, and I thought that the safest place for you was the farthest away from me."

"So you left me to keep me safe?" I asked, my face carefully kept emotionless.

"I thought it was the right thing to do!" he said wretchedly. "All those things I said-"

"About not loving me, and how you told me to move on because you knew that you would?" I interrupted.

"Yes," Edward mumbled, bowing his head in grief. "I never meant a word of it." Looking up, Edward reached out for my hand. "Bella, I'm still so much in love with you. You mean everything to me!" he pleaded.

I didn't allow him to take my hand. Instead, I stood up and walked slowly away, facing away from him. "You left me out in the forest, completely heartbroken," I told him, refusing to look at him.

"I know," Edward said.

"I used to have nightmares about that night," I told him harshly. "I used to dream about that exact moment when you left. I'd wake up screaming because I was all alone."

"I'm sorry," Edward said, his voice hoarse.

"But sometimes, I'd dream that Jace would find me. He's the one that found me in the woods, you know," I said, turning and walking to my left. "He found me and made sure that I got back home. And when I dreamed that he found me, I knew it was a dream, not a nightmare."

Edward was silent.

"I never loved him," I said, looking down at my shoes. "Not really. He's in love with someone else, a girl named Clary. The way he talks about her... it's so sweet," I said, smiling a bit to myself.

Again, Edward didn't say anything.

"But Jace did help me grow. Even when he had to leave for Idris, he made sure that I knew he'd come back. He even sent Simon to make sure I was safe when he was stuck there." Edward offered no comment, so I continued. "Before Simon came, I made friends with Jacob and the La Push pack." Edward made a little noise of surprise, but I ignored him. "They saved my life from Laurent."

"Laurent was here?" Edward blurted out.

I nodded. "He was sent to scout out the area for Victoria. He thought he'd kill me for her, make my death quick and painless." I laughed. "Shadowhunters rarely die quickly. I put up a good fight, but I was starting to lose when the wolves came."

"Who won?" Edward asked and I heard the anxiety in his voice.

"We did, obviously. We burned his body in the meadow," I told him in offhand tones. "But that's beside the point."

"What point?" Edward asked.

I turned to look at him. "The point, Edward, is that I did exactly what you told me to do. I moved on. I kept myself busy and made myself stronger for all the pain I went through." Edward buried his face in his hands, shaking his head slowly. "I'm a Shadowhunter, Edward," I continued, my voice getting louder. "I'm not the same little Bella Swan that needed to be saved anymore." Turning away, I said very quietly, "I'm sorry Edward. I'm over you."

Behind me, Edward let out a choking sob and buried his face completely in his hands. "No," he moaned, shaking his head, "No...."

Walking over him, I gently placed my hand on his shoulder. He didn't react and simply continued to dry sob. No words came to mind that could comfort him, so I simply pressed his shoulder before working my way back to the others.

On the way, I passed Jasper and Alice. Jasper continued on ahead, while Alice stopped to stare at me. Her expression was a mix of disgust and pity, so strong that I looked away and pressed on. I heard her start up again and after her footsteps faded in the distance, I paused to wipe the tears out of my eyes. I finally emerged from the woods to where Jace stood. He welcomed me with a hug, and held me tenderly. "It's going to be okay," Jace whispered in my ear. "It's going to be okay. It won't seem like it will for a long time, but I promise you that it will be. Not today, not tomorrow, not even next week. It will someday though, Bella." His arms tightened around me, and I buried my face in his chest.

- - -

Whew! Chapter Thirteen done!

To my reviewers:

Doctor Who And Torchwood Jack: I hope this answers your request :) I never planned for them to get back together, but doing it this way seemed (to me) appropriate. I didn't want Bella to be heartless, so I know that she'd be a bit upset over the break up (continuation of it?) as well.

Hazelholly: No problem, hun!

I hope you all didn't mind the moment at the end between Jace and Bella. I hope it wasn't OOC! I can't really picture Jacob comforting Bella very well in that area. I'd have Simon do it, but Bella is closer to Jace in this fic, so it seemed fitting for Jace to be the one to hold her.

Please review!


	14. I need a sixpack

I own nothing!

- - -

Curled on the couch with a mug of steaming tea, I watched in quiet amusement as Jace paced nervously around the living room. Lounging on the couch next to me, Simon rolled his eyes. "Stop pacing, Jace."

"They're not here yet! They should be here!" he snapped, glaring at the clock.

"Magnus said they'd be here between seven-thirty and eight. It's barely even seven thirty-one," Simon said, looking frazzled as he ran his hands through his hair.

Simon groaned and stuffed a pillow over his face. "I can't stand to even look at him," Simon said, his voice muffled.

Calmly sipping at my tea, I shrugged half-heartedly. "I find that if you watch him with a cynical sense of humor in mind, it becomes more bearable."

There was a brieft knock at the door before it banged open, and Jace ran to the entryway. There was a pause, before Jace came back in, shaking his head. Following behind him was Jacob, who looked at Jace with a mixture of pity and amusement. "What have I missed?" Jacob asked, vaulting over the back of the couch to sit next to me.

"Jace is being a moron," Simon said from behind his pillow. "He won't stop freaking out."

Jacob watched Jace pace a few times around the room before he said, "I can tell. How long has he been pacing?"

"Thirty five minutes," Simon said with a groan.

"When are they expected?" Jacob asked, reaching for my tea.

Glaring at him, I held the cup out of his reach and told him, "By eight, at the latest."

Checking his watch, Jacob said in surprise, "It's twenty-five till!"

"We know," Simon hissed, pulling the pillow off of his face to glare effectively at Jacob. His right eye twitched. "Oh trust me, we know!"

Shrinking back, Jacob quickly nabbed the mug from me and took a sip. Coughing, he rubbed at his mouth and spluttered out, "What is that stuff? Dish water?"

"Black green tea," I told him, sipping at the tea. "It's good for your skin and it helps keep your metabolism in balance."

"It tastes like cat pee."

"You smell like cat pee," Simon muttered from his pillow.

Before I could even laugh, there was a knock at the door. Jace was vaulting over chairs before I had a chance to set down my mug. There was a crash as the door was flung open, and Jace shouted happily. Voices shouted back, and the trampling of people walking inside sounded through the entryway. The door slammed shut after a minute, and a tall, slender man poked his head around the corner. His hair was blue, spiky and very sparkly, and his eyes had strange cat-slitted pupils. "We just locked Jace outside, if that's all right with you," he told me coyly.

"That's perfectly fine with us," Simon said, tossing the pillow on the couch as he stood up. "He's been driving us all crazy with his non-stop pacing."

"Yeah, well, he's currently non-stop kissing with Clary," a dark haired girl said as she strutted into the living room. Her hair was long and dark, twisted into an elegant braid that rippled down her corseted back. Her long, graceful legs were shown off in a scanty little skirt. Standing up, I held out my hand to her and said, "Isabella Swan, but you can call me Bella."

"Isabelle Lightwood," she said, eyes sparkling. "But I guess you can call me Izzy."

Stepping around me, Simon gave her a hug. "Nice to see you, Isabelle," he said, smiling shyly at her.

Isabelle grinned at him. Behind her, Alec walked over to me and gave me a tentative hug. "Nice to see you again, Bella," he said. "How was Italy?"

"Strangely enough, it had loads of vampires there," I said with a wink. "Maybe it was just the neighborhood we went to."

Magnus nodded solemnly. "Location has everything to do with it, darling."

I held out my hand for him to shake, and he idly took it in his hand and examined it. "It seems you are taking to Shadowhunting quite well, Miss Swan."

"Call me Bella," I said firmly. "Miss Swan makes me feel like a pirate."

Simon exploded into laughter. Alec and Isabelle stared blankly at him, while Jacob rolled his eyes. "No more nerd jokes, Bells," Jacob said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "I don't think poor Simon could handle it."

I shrugged, but leaned back into Jacob. The door creaked open again, and Jace walked in, holding hands with a petite girl. She looked shorter even than Alice; with curls of fiery red hair and bright eyes. Marks glowed on her translucent skin, glowing a little under the florescent lights. Leading her straight to me, Jace gestured to me as he introduced us. "Clary, this is Bella Swan. Bella, this is Clary." There was reverence in his voice when he said her name.

Smiling, I shook Clary's hand and said, "Wonderful to meet you, Clary. Jace has told me a lot about you."

"I could say the same for you," Clary said with a laugh.

From there, our conversation went smoothly. Clary and I traded funny stories about Jace, while the Lightwoods added in embarrassing childhood memories of him. After standing by my side for a while, Jacob finally sat on the couch behind me and tried to amuse himself. First he began to play with my hair, but after a while he took the liberty of trying to sneak the knife from my thigh sheath.

After what was probably the tenth time I'd slapped his hand away, Clary asked me, "Are you two dating?"

Startled, we both blurted out, "No!"

"I just got out of a relationship," I explained after a moment, rubbing sheepishly at the back of my neck. "It was a pretty intense relationship, so I'm not really ready to date."

Clary nodded, a light of understanding flickering in her eyes. "Is that the one that Jace briefly mentioned...?"

"The guy that abandoned me in the woods where Jace found me, yeah," I said, toying with my hair. "He tried to get me back, but I pretty much shot him down."

Clary nodded. Jace reached for her tiny hand and took it in his slim one, and I had to look away at that.

"What's your excuse, Jacob?" Simon asked, trying to break the tension.

Flashing a grin at Simon, Jacob flipped his hair out of his face and said, "I'm too gorgeous to settle down, Simon."

Magnus grinned at Jacob from across the room, slitted eyes glowing. "Indeed you are, my boy."

His expression of sheer horror, Jacob shifted so he was hidden by me. Nostrils flaring, Alec dragged Magnus inside the kitchen by the arm.

There was a pause as sparks literally began to fly.

"I wouldn't go in there for a while, if I were you," Jace said, turning away and shaking his head. "They'll be at it for a while, and trust me, you never want to see a spot where Magnus and Alec were making out."

"I never want to see them making out period," Jacob said with a shudder.

Once again, the door opened and footsteps sounded in the hallway. "Bella? I'm home!" Charlie called to me. He walked around the corner and froze at the sight of all the people in his living room. His mouth popped open, but no words came out.

"Hello again, Chief Swan!" Jace said heartily, waving the hand that was intertwined with Clary's. "I'm sure you're wondering why there's so many people in your living room."

"That's an understatement," Charlie muttered.

"This is my family," Jace said, waving to everyone. "The pretty girl I'm holding hands with is Clary Fray." Shaking Charlie's hand firmly, Clary grinned at my dad and gave him a typical hello. "The tall girl standing by Simon is Isabella Lightwood. We grew up together, so I consider her family."

Shaking Charlie's hand, Isabelle dazzled him with a smile and said, "Nice you meet you, sir. Please, call me Izzy."

Nodding, Charlie looked a bit baffled. "You're all Shadowhunters, then?"

Clary nodded and Isabelle toyed with her whips. "Damn good ones, too," Isabelle declared.

Again, Charlie nodded. "I need a beer," he said weakly, and walked into the kitchen before we could protest. There was a shout, and Charlie backed quickly out of the kitchen, looking absolutely horrified. "What in the blazes is going on?" he bellowed.

"That," Isabelle said smoothly, "Is my brother Alec and his boyfriend, Magnus Bane."

"The one with the spiky hair," Simon chipped in. "He's a warlock."

"A warlock..." Charlie repeated weakly. Sitting down heavily in his favorite armchair, he pressed his fists against his eyes and said wearily, "I'm gonna need a whole pack of beer."

- - -

I am so, so sorry for the late update! School started back up again, and things just got plain hectic. I know this update was fluffy and downright craptastic, but I promise I'll do better next update!

Response to reviews:

LaBella Gomez: No, it's definitely not over! I do plan on a trip to Idris, plus some other fun plot points drawn from the Twilight booksies.

singer981: I'm not sure which one I'll do, but I'm considering one of the first two suggestions you had. :)

To all my readers! Please submit a review! I'm a very lazy author, and I'm undecided between Bella/Simon and Bella/Jacob.


	15. Daring

I own nothing

- - -

Simon twirled, doing a lousy imitation of a pirouette before he flung himself back down in the chair he had been occupying. Jace and I applauded lightly while Clary and Isabelle dissolved into giggles. Alec smiled shyly, while Magnus drawled, "Such terrible posture. 3 out of 10."

Rolling his eyes, Simon nudged me and said, "Your turn Bella. Truth or Dare."

I tapped my finger thoughtfully against my chin for a moment before replying, "Truth."

It was quite for a moment as everyone tried to think of a suitable question, before Jace gave me an evil smile and asked in mock curious tones, "Bella! Are you a Necrophiliac?" Laughter went up around our misshapen little circle as I gaped at Jace.

I stared blankly at Jace, thinking fast. Technically, since the only boy I'd ever dated was an undead vampire, it meant that I was. "Yes, Jace," I said loudly. "I am an utter Necrophiliac." Reaching to my left, I dragged Simon into a hug. "I could just eat Simon up."

"Isn't that my job?" Simon objected.

"Shut up," I told him with a charming smile. "Before I try to send you back to the grave."

Picking me up with one arm, Simon set me easily on his knee and rested his chin on my shoulder. "I'd like to see you try," he said, and I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Truth or dare, Jace?" Isabelle asked, tiring of Simon and I. We had been bantering all night long; trading nerdy jokes and making references to horrible and obscure movies.

"Dare," Jace said, puffing up his chest. "Because I am a man, and men are daring."

"I dare you to kiss Simon," I blurted out quickly.

Recoiling, both Jace and Simon gave me looks of utter horror. In the corner, Magnus cackled and gestured with his hands, pulling Simon out from the chair and throwing Jace upright.

"Pucker up," Magnus said.

Giving the other a look of sheer revulsion, Jace and Simon considered each other like poison. Magnus cleared his throat and gave the two a pointed look. Scrunching up his face, Jace seemed to muster his courage before he gave Simon the quickest, lightest peck on the lips. Instantly the two fell about gagging and wiping furiously at their mouths, making horrible choking sounds and wailing.

Glaring at me as he wiped his mouth, Jace hissed, "I'll get you for that, Swan."

Lounging in what was previously Simon's seat, I grinned cheerily at Jace as he darkly asked me, "Truth or Dare, Isabella Swan?"

"Dare," I said coolly, surprising everyone. Rubbing his hands together, Jace cackled to himself like a witch in a cottage. The way he grinned at me made me feel like Gretel.

"To return the favor, I dare you to kiss Simon," he said dramatically, pointing at Simon. We looked at each other and I raised an eyebrow.

"That's it?" I asked, slightly dumbfounded. "No horribly demeaning dares? No public humiliation?"

"Count your blessings," Jace told me sharply. "I can add all those in, if you really want those."

"I'm good," I said, sitting up to face Simon. His near-black eyes stared into mine, rimmed with dark lashes. He grinned nervously, baring his teeth slightly. "That's reassuring," I muttered, eyeing his teeth nervously. "If I kiss you, I get bitten. Fantastic."

Simon laughed and gently cupped my face before leaning closer. His cool breath blew across my face, and I unconsciously leaned forward. His lips were cool against mine as they gently pressed against mine. Softly, his hand traced my cheek as he kissed me. It was completely like any other kiss I'd ever had.

We pulled apart, carefully avoiding each other's eyes. I ran my fingers distractedly through my hair, my face burning and my heart thumping. The room was fairly quiet, with everyone casually watching us out of the corners of their eyes.

"How was it?" Jace asked, his face completely serious.

Not meeting Simon's eyes, I gave them all a flippant grin as I said, "Well, although this is only my second kiss, he's a heck of a lot better than my last boyfriend."

Preening, Simon buffed his nails against his chest and said proudly, "Not to brag, but I am a fantastic kisser."

Jace snorted. "You're not that good, leech."

"It's awkward that you know that," I said with a smile. "But maybe you've known for a long time."

Jace opened his mouth to look outraged, while Clary leaned forward and said in a whisper to Alec, "It is true! Hostility is suppressed sexual attraction!"

Magnus purred to himself, effectively cutting off Jace and Simon. Nudging Simon over, I attempted to squeeze myself into the small space between him and the edge of the chair. Flipping me so my legs were across his lap, Simon settled comfortably underneath me and grinned at me.

The rest of the night passed easily, with me sitting on Simon as we squabbling with Jace. When Charlie got home, he took one look at Simon and I and merely pointed from me to the floor. Seemingly to understand Charlie's obscure instructions, Simon lifted me up with one hand, squeezed out from under me, laid me gently on the chair and settled himself on the floor.

Staring blankly at my father, I asked, "What just happened?"

"Man talk," Jace told me, unperturbed as he began to play with Clary's hair.

"Man talk?" I asked, turning to look at Simon for affirmation.

Simon nodded as Jace twirled the strands of red hair around his fingers like ribbons. "The more manly you are, the less you say," Simon explained. "It's like in all those movies, when the two rivals meet for their epic battle and they just nod. The nod is a way of saying 'I am a real man, and I recognize that you are manly too.'"

I stared, torn between amusement and disgust. "You can't really believe that," I said, fighting a smile.

"He does," Clary said, unmoving as Jace began to tie her hair in a bow. "He's explained this to me before."

Leaning my head against the back of the chair, I said dejectedly to the ceiling, "I guess I'm turning asexual, then."

"More for me," Magnus said cheerfully.

. . .

When I woke up the next day, I was greeted by the sight of Jace's face mere inches from mine. Yelling in shock, I shoved him away and instinctively reached for the knife under my pillow. My hand met only fabric as Jace handed my knife back to me. "I've learned after having to wake Izzy," he said, winking. "Get up, sleepy head. We're joining you for school today and we're not afraid to leave you behind."

"You're coming to my school?" I blurted, scrambling out of bed and running towards my dresser. There was a pair of skinny jeans and a tank top laid out, but that wasn't unusual to me. I knew Alice and Isabelle, after all.

Jace merely grinned and started to head out. "A word of advice from Izzy," he told me as he left "A knife under the pillow may work in a jiffy, but all robbers expect it. No one expects a thigh sheath."

I was downstairs in a matter of minutes, primped and polished. Jace handed me two slices of toast slathered in strawberry jam. Taking them with an appreciative nod, I took a bite and asked thickly, "So how're we getting to school? My truck only seats two."

"We brought my van from New York," Simon said calmly. "It can easily fit us all."

"Wasn't that your mom's van?" I asked, accepting a glass of juice from Jace and swigging it.

Simon scowled as Jace grinned. "It was, but we managed to borrow it from her."

We all piled into the van, with me riding shotgun. Behind me, Jace quipped, "Careful not to get pulled over Simon. You never know what kind of knitting needles your mom might carry in the van."

"You are welcome to walk Jace," Simon said through gritted teeth, driving jerkily out of the driveway. "You look like you could use the exercise."

Hoping to avoid a fight, I interrupted to give Simon directions the school. We arrived in silence, parking farther away from the doors at Jace's request.

"Why are we so far away?" I asked, tossing my backpack over my shoulder.

"I'm just getting the exercise I need," Jace said with a disarmingly charming smile. With that, he threw open the door and jumped out of the car. Helping Clary out of the van, he lovingly guided her towards the doors.

Isabelle hopped out with Alec, who opened the door for me. Catching up to us after he had locked the car, Simon casually rested his arm around my shoulders. I gave him a sharp glance to ask why, but he merely nodded to my left. From their cars, the Cullens' watched us, eyes black. I felt a faint rumble come from Simon's chest and saw the beginning glints of his fangs gleaming on his lips.

"It's all right," I said, taking his hand and running my hand soothingly across his shoulders. He glanced at me sideways, lashes long and dark as he observed me. "I'm fine," I assured him. "Take it easy. We can't have anyone figuring you out, though." With a pointed look at his fangs, I got my message across to Simon. He smiled sheepishly and relaxed his body, hiding his fangs once again.

We walked through the doors, startling the small population of Forks High. They stared curiously at our little group, edging away from Simon and girls staring openly at Jace. Isabelle grinned, flipping her charcoal hair and drawing every boy's eyes with her long legs displayed in a miniskirt.

"You better be wearing spandex under that," I told Isabelle, tugging on her hair.

"I always do," Isabelle assured. "It makes it easier to fight."

I nodded, appeased. I tugged at the arm warmers I had added to my ensemble, a bit embarrassed at how they worked against the sleek style of clothes I was wearing. Isabelle noticed and frowned. "Why'd you add the sleeves?" she asked, her brow puckering.

"I wanted to hide the Marks," I admitted.

"Normal humans can't see them," she told me reproachfully, forcefully pulling the sleeves off. "I picked out this outfit so you'd look the part of a Nephilim. Even if they can't see it, you should look it," she said, tossing the sleeves in a trash can. Tugging on the clothes, she adjusted it so it revealed the top of a Mark on my hip along with the white of my stomach. "You have such a cute tummy! Show it off more!" Isabelle said, and turned around only to be face to face with Edward and Alice. "Hi," Isabelle said bluntly to Edward, then said appraisingly to Alice, "Love the shoes."

"Thanks," Alice said, smiling briefly at Isabelle. "Love your outfits." She nodded at me, referring to me as the second outfit.

"I do my best," Isabelle said primly, inspecting me critically. "She always fights so hard, though."

They proceeded to view me as if I were some strange creature that had crawled up out of the sewers and died at their feet. "I hate it when they do this," I told Simon, not bothering to whisper.

"I don't know," Simon said, giving me a mischievous smile. "You can strike random poses and pretend to be a model."

"What does that make you?" I asked, amused.

"Your sugar daddy," he said, striking a bold pose.

"I have an undead, Jewish sugar daddy," I said thoughtfully and promptly burst into laughter.

"Word," Simon said, still posing.

Jace came up to us, looking between us in a mixture of amusement and curiosity. "Are you trying to be a Jewish sugar daddy?" he asked Simon.

Turning to me, Simon gestured furiously at Jace and said, "See? It's totally not that absurd!"

"It is," Alec said stoically. "So will we when we're late. Come on."

Classes were infinitely better when I had my fellow Shadowhunters in class with me. We spent the periods laughing and cracking snide jokes at each other. I was separated from Jace in two periods and Simon in three. My poor teachers were completely thrown off by our tight-knit group. We talked in slang that only Nephilim knew, we knew the same things and we all watched them with the same cool, appraising look when they came to scold us.

I wouldn't be surprised if we were the reason for someone's early retirement.

At lunch, we took over an empty table next to Jessica's and sat down quietly, carefully avoiding each other's eyes. The entire cafeteria watched us, curious to see what the outsiders would do. We started to eat in silence, watching our plates.

"Cafeteria food," Jace commented, shrugging a little.

"Yup," Simon said, not touching his food.

"Digusting," Isabelle said, poking at her casserole with a spoon

"It's better than your cooking," Jace said, deadpanning at Isabelle.

Punching him viciously on the arm, Isabelle knocked Jace clear off the bench. "If it's really that much tastier than my food," she said, grabbing his food and throwing it in a nearby trash can, "Then you don't get dinner tonight."

"Bella's cooking tonight," he pointed out meekly.

"Not anymore," she said grimly, flouncing back to her seat.

Jace was quiet for a minute, before he slumped dramatically to the ground and declaimed, "Cruel Fate! What hath I done to thee?"

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," Alec quipped.

"I thought Izzy's cooking was hell," Simon said with a snigger.

Raising a fist, Isabelle gave him a demonic glare and hissed, "Do you want to get clocked too?" Shaking his head, Simon hid behind me.

There was a short pause as everyone watched us and I blurted, "So we'll all be going to Jake's house for pizza then?"

"That sounds lovely," Isabelle said, huffing as she returned to her food.

We watched her eat for a while. She steadily ignored us, screening herself with her long hair. Behind us, on the floor, Jace let out a glorious laugh as he hopped up and returned to his seat. Smiling at Jace, Clary fed him a tidbit of food on her fork. Alec shook his head at his sister, digging into his food with medical precision. Simon flipped his hair farther into his face and grinned at me, making a slight face. I nudged my shoulder against his, before leaning comfortably against him. The cafeteria was watching us still, but I didn't really care. Forks High wouldn't know what hit them.

- - -

I am so, so, so sorry about how late this was! I'm afraid I won't be able to update as frequently as I'd like, since school is back and tougher than ever. I'll try to update once a week if I can. ^^;

Reviews:

- I don't really plan on Jace/Bella, but I plan on some Simon/Bella. I'll continue to introduce Edward, don't worry. I can't leave out the other white meat, I mean, vampire. ;)


	16. I wouldn't have it any other way

I own nothing!

WARNING!!!! There are some spoilers for the Mortal Instruments fans out there. There is stuff from the City of Glass in here, so be warned.

With that, please enjoy!

NOTE: I am so, so sorry about the late update! I had some technical difficulties. My apologies!

For once, it was a sunny Saturday in Forks, Washington. There were a few fluffy clouds scooting across the unbelievably blue sky, but the sun was warm and welcomed. Breathing deeply, I grinned as I looked out across the forest. Green met blue in a jagged union, and for a moment I imagined that the sky was really falling down to envelop the Earth in a bright blue blanket.

Behind me, Simon cleared his throat. I turned to look at him and he smiled at me from my doorway. In his hand, he was effortlessly carrying two backpacks that he offered slightly to me. "Ready to go hiking?" he asked, smiling a charming half-smile.

Walking towards him, I gently took a backpack from him and slung it over my shoulders. "Thanks for going with me today," I told him with a smile.

He shrugged carelessly as he walked towards my window. "It's not a problem. I always liked hiking."

"Do you still?" I asked, looking at him curiously.

"Becoming a vampire hasn't changed what I like," he said, staring back at me.

We stood for a moment in the window, silence enveloping us like the heat wave did. Finally, I gestured weakly to my window. "Shall we go?" I asked hoarsely.

Holding his hand out to me, Simon nodded and grinned. "Let's." Taking his hand like a lady would at a ball, Simon helped me out of the window and onto the small ledge of my windowsill. Slipping through the window with his usual catlike grace, Simon gripped my hand tighter and relaxed into a crouch. Together, we leapt from the windowsill and landed lightly on the ground; aided by my Marks and Simon's vampiric grace. Still holding hands, we trotted off into the cool shade of the woods.

We ran for a while, releasing each other's hands as we jumped over logs and twisted through the tree trunks. Practically glowing in the dim sunlight, Simon grinned to me as he jumped up for a higher branch. Swinging through the trees, he called down to me as I ran underneath him. Shouting a mixture of encouragement and challenges, we raced through the woods. Loam sprayed at my feet as I twirled a little; I felt so light that I felt like dancing. Spinning, I threw my head back and laughed as I rotated in a spot of sunlight. I heard a thump, but didn't stop until Simon approached me.

Slowing, I wobbled to a halt in front of him. Reflexively, his cold hands caught my elbows and gripped them to keep me upright. I stilled in his arms, searching his dark eyes as he moved closer. Sunlight threw itself across his face, dappling his white skin in varying shades of marble. I moved closer, gently pulling an arm free as I tentatively rested my fingertips on his cheek. Eyes half-closed, Simon relaxed against the heat of my hand as I stroked his icy cheek. The sunlight thawed the fingers that froze from his skin, and I thickly wondered if it would warm my lips if I kissed him.

As if he heard my thoughts, Simon's hands moved so that one hand rested on my hip while the other cradled my head. Moving closer into his embrace, I allowed my eyes to sink halfway closed. His ragged breath was cool on my lips as I drew forward to kiss him.

His lips, so unlike Edward's stony embrace, were supple against my own as they drew me in. Instinctively my hands went into his hair, tangling themselves in the silky confines of his hair. His arms tightened around me, cradling me against his chest as my heart beat a lonely beat against his stilled one. His fingers twined more securely through my hair, tilting my head so he could kiss me all the more firmly.

We remained there for a while; time was lost to us as we kissed in the small sunlit loam beneath the trees. When we pulled away, Simon rested his forehead against mine as he drew in a ragged breath. I slipped my arms around his back, hugging him to me as I breathed with him.

Pulling away slightly, Simon took my hands in his and stood there for a moment as we drank the sight of each other in. Squeezing my hands lovingly, Simon released one hand and lead me along with the other. We walked in silence, with me enjoying his company and the simple fact of not being so alone. His fingers wrapped around mine, threading them through his with utter delicacy. We reached a spot in the forest where a large log lay covered with moss, shrouded in sunlight as it lay next to the stump that once gave it life. Leading me to the log, Simon sat me down before settling on the stump that lay in the shadows.

I watched him for a while, observing the way his eyes studiously drank in the details of the forest floor at his feet. Not looking up, Simon said quietly, "I feel that I must be honest with you, Bella." Hearing the seriousness in his voice, I bit down a witty retort and nodded slowly. Sighing, Simon shifted in his seat and started, "Bella, this time that I've been with you... It's been amazing. You're witty, you're brave, you're beautiful..."

Feeling wary, I said slowly, "There's a really big 'but' coming up, isn't there?"

Sinking his face into his hands, Simon nodded. "Bella, I can't. It's stupid and it's not fair-" Stopping himself, Simon shook his head and gripped his hair in frustration. In that second that he bared his forehead, I saw the starkness of a Mark on his forehead. It radiated an ancient power, and I felt a sense of foreboding as I dared to stare.

"Does it have anything to do with that Mark?" I asked meekly.

Letting out a bitter laugh, Simon said, "It has everything to do with this Mark." Tilting his head so I could get a better look, Simon asked me seriously, "Do you know what this Mark is?" I shook my head, and he sighed again. "This is the Mark of Cain," he explained heavily.

"The whole cursed sevenfold thing?" I asked, awed.

Simon nodded. "Whoever kills me will have it unleashed upon them sevenfold. But I am cursed to wander this Earth forever, until death comes to claim me." Again, Simon laughed a hard laugh. "Great news for an immortal vampire like me."

"Who Marked you?" I asked, my brow creasing. "Why would they Mark you with something like this?"

"Clary Marked me," he said lowly, letting his hair down. "I'm an abomination of a vampire, and that makes me dead meat walking."

"An abomination?" I repeated doubtfully. "The Cullen's can walk around in the sunlight too."

"They're a different breed," he said impatiently. "We hardly even consider them vampires. My kind can't go into the sunlight. We shouldn't," he said harshly, running his hands over his face. "I only can because I drank Jace's blood."

"So that you could live," I said, remembering Jace telling me about that incident. "And his Angel's blood changed you?" Simon nodded, hunching his shoulders miserably. I thought for a while, before asking quietly, "That means you can't go back to New York, doesn't it? Because the vampires there will kill you."

Nodding, Simon said softly, "And even with the new Accords, I'm not welcome in Idris."

"Where will you go?" I asked, feeling three inches tall. The sunlight felt like ice to me, and it wasn't the cool of Simon that I was wanting.

"I've been talking to Carlisle," he admitted. "He was telling me about the Denali clan in Alaska. I was thinking about going there, when you all left for Idris."

"Only when we leave?" I asked, trying to crush the hope rising in my chest.

"Only when you leave," he assured me.

We sat in silence again as I tried to quiet the chaotic order of my thoughts. Standing up, Simon walked over to me, took my hands and knelt in front of me. "I'm sorry that I had to break this to you so suddenly, Bella," he said quietly. "But I couldn't lead you on and let you think that I could be around forever, not in good conscience."

Gripping his hand, I traced my free hand along the back of his hand and wrist. "Will you be staying for a while, then?"

"I will," Simon said, holding my hand all the more tenderly in his.

"Am I allowed to love you while you're still here?" I choked out through a tight throat, tears gathering in my eyes.

Cupping my chin in his hand, Simon whispered, "I wouldn't have it any other way," and kissed me again.

I decided that this would be a good place to stop, since I'm such a cruel person. ;)

I recalled all the things that Simon was dealing with at the end of City of Glass, and came to the conclusion that even as much as Simon might love Bella, he wouldn't be able to stay with her. I mean, Raphael is after him and I doubt that even the new Accords could make him welcome in Idris. But that's just my opinion. :P Don't worry too much, dearies. I still plan on Bella and Simon being a couple for most of the rest of this fic. I just wanted to make it realistic ^^;

Please review (and don't hate me for the twist!). I love you all, my darling readers!


	17. The sleepover that wasn't

I own nothing, my sweets.

I can't believe I agreed to this.

Parking my truck in front of the Cullen's house, I nervously smoothed my hair down and checked myself in the rearview mirror. I was here for a "fun night" at the Cullen's, courtesy of Alice. She had talked me into submission at lunch, all but begging on her knees for me to join them. Groaning, I had stupidly agreed to join her. I blamed her amazing usage of her puppy-dog eyes.

Shoving the door open, I wrenched myself out of the car and slammed the door after me. There was a creak of metal and I whipped around to find myself face to face with Jace and Alec.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, startled.

"You really expected to be sneak off like that without being tailed?" Jace asked me scathingly.

"I had my hopes," I muttered sullenly, folding my arms childishly.

"And it's our job to crush them," Jace said impassively. "We all ready squashed Simon's hopes of coming along and Eddie's hopes of nabbing you, so we thought we'd continue on our rampage and destroy Alice's plans as well."

"Ever heard of quitting while you're ahead?" I asked in flippant tones.

"The best laid plans can go to waste," Jace said, brushing me off and striding confidently towards the door.

"How did you get here, anyways?" I asked Alec in hushed tones.

"We hid in the bed of your car," he said. At least he had the decency to look sheepish.

"You owe me gas money!" I yelled at Jace as he reached the porch.

Waving coolly at me, he knocked imperiously on the door. Within a second of his knuckles touching the wood, the door was flung open by an irate Alice. Unflinching, Jace swept into a bow and said smoothly, "Mademoiselle."

Ignoring him, Alice glared at me. "You said you wouldn't bring friends!" she said accusingly.

"It's kind of hard to get rid of people when they're hiding in your truck bed," I told her, shrugging.

"Using a glamour," Alec added.

I gave him a dark look. "That too."

Sighing, her nostrils flaring, Alice said sullenly, "I suppose I should invite you all in."

"How gracious of you," Jace said, and dragged Alec and I inside by our wrists.

Once inside, I found myself staring at all of the Cullen's. Their eyes watched us carefully, taking in the Marks that decorated our skin and the weapons that we always carried.

"Have all of you met Jace and Alec Lightwood?" I asked, disentangling my arm from Jace's and gesturing to Alec.

"I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Alec," Carlisle said, diplomatic as ever. Striding forward, he offered his hand fearlessly to Alec.

Smiling a shy, charming smile, Alec shook his hand stoutly and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I've heard many things about you, and I must say that I'm impressed by the reputation that precedes you." At Carlisle's curious glance, Alec added, "I have never heard of a vampire that has managed to go into the medical field. Your strength is very rare."

Carlisle flashed a broad smile at him. "Thank you, Alec. How is Simon? I'm surprised he isn't here as well. He seems very close with Bella," Carlisle said with a charming, harmless smile. I smiled back, fighting down a blush. I knew he meant well, but he was unaware of the minefield that Simon was.

"He... didn't come," Alec said awkwardly. "We wanted to keep this meeting peaceable and we were worried about the ramifications of his presence here."

"Last time I saw, he was sulking in the kitchen," Jace offered cheerfully. "And if I do recall, he threatened to eat my heart if anything happened to Bella."

Alec winced and I laughed a little. "So you hid in the back of my truck to avoid Simon's wrath?"

"No, I hid in the back of your truck to avoid your wrath. Hence the glamour," Jace said pugnaciously.

"Twerp," I said, fondly ruffling his hair. Jerking away, Jace hastily smoothed his hair down until it resumed it's usual halo-like glow of curls around his face.

"How is it that I'm the gay one?" Alec mused, watching Jace surreptitiously try to check his reflection in the window.

"You have to love other men to be gay, not just yourself," I told Alec, grinning when Jace stuck his tongue out at me.

"You're gay?" Emmett blurted, staring at Alec. Rosalie elbowed him to hush him up, but he didn't seem deterred.

"Yeah," Alec said, blushing fire red. "But I've only recently gone public about it."

"Shadowhunters are very old-fashioned," Jace said, sticking his hands in his pockets. "Dating Downworlders is enough to cause a riot, let alone being gay."

"So what does one say when they're coming out?" Emmett asked, much to the chagrin of his family.

"Alec didn't say much," Jace said, beginning to snigger.

The Cullens looked confused as Jace began to laugh harder at the sight of Alec's flushed face. Brow smoothing, Edward stifled a laugh as he read Jace's mind.

"What'd he do?" Emmett asked, agog.

"He made out with his boyfriend in front of the entire Clave," Jace said, ducking a punch from Alec and backing away. "His parent's faces were absolutely priceless."

"Who's your partner?" Rosalie ventured. "Jace?"

They stopped bickering long enough to stare at Rosalie. "Hell no," Jace said, making a face. "Alec's family raised me; I'm practically his brother. He's my _parabatai_ and my best friend, but nothing more." Facing Alec, he added, "No offense, man."

"None taken," Alec said calmly. "My 'partner' is Magnus Bane."

"The warlock?" Carlisle mused. Alec nodded, smiling a little. "How old is he?"

"Eight hundred."

"Cougar town! Meow!" Emmett blurted out.

There was a silence, before Jace said slowly and calmly, "Emmett, you are absolutely amazing." They gave each other a high-five, and with that, the tension shattered. Emmett and Jace began to swap stories and jokes while Jasper joined in the conversation between Carlisle and Alec. Edward skulked around the edges of the room, coolly observing everyone. Rosalie stood nearby, arms folded as she narrowly watched Jace and Emmett chatter.

There was a stirring to my right; Esme laid her cold hand on my bare shoulder and smiled sweetly at me. "It's nice to see you here again, Bella," she said sincerely.

"It's wonderful to be back, Esme," I replied, smiling. "I've missed being around all of you."

There was a cough behind me as Alice approached me, a stern expression on her face. "You promised me a sleepover," she said accusingly.

"I did," I said calmly, smiling slightly.

Grabbing my hand, she dragged me upstairs. "I don't care what your friends say, I'm getting my sleepover," she told me, every word punctuated by a stomp of her foot on the staircase.

Keeping pace easily, Jace hovered by Alice's side and said, "You can only have her if you do my hair later."

"Done," Alice said, dragging me a little faster. If it wasn't for the balance rune on my arm, I'm sure I would have fallen. "And I'll get to yours later, Alec!" she called over her shoulder.

Alec yelled some sort of retort, but Alice didn't seem to care. Shepherding me into her room, she slammed the door after us and said bluntly, "You strip now."

I froze. "Alice, I had no idea you swung that way," I said stupidly. I must have been spending too much time with Jace lately....

Giving me a withering glare, Alice said coldly, "I am getting you into a cute outfit and you are going to shut up and do what I say."

"Okay," I said, hastily wiggling out of my top.

After trying on dozens of outfits, Alice finally settled on her favorite: sleek black shorts and a interesting halter top that was a lacy corset. "It shows off your Marks," Alice admitted, looking approvingly at my outfit. "And I hate to say it, but they look cool. What's this one do?" she asked, pointing to my left arm.

"That one is for balance," I told her. "The one on my neck is for better long distance sight and the one on my hand is the typical Mark of a Nephilim."

"What's the one on your hip?" Alice asked, curious.

"It's a small glamour that Clary developed. It helps us hide our Marks from mundanes," I explained.

"Any ones that aren't just for survival?" Alice asked, looking slightly put out.

"Clary did make one that makes you fearless," I said slowly, unsure of whether I was supposed to be telling Alice this.

"That's what we have Jasper for," Alice said with a sniff.

I grinned. "We'll just have to borrow him every now and then." Alice's glare told me otherwise, but I laughed and ran my hands through my hair. "So what are you planning for this mess?" I asked, pointing to my waves of hair.

"I was thinking of loose, messy curls...."

Two hours later we were seated in the Cullen's living room with Jace and Alec. Jace, whose hair was gloriously styled into smooth curtains that only made him even more handsome, watched with amusement as Alice attacked Alec's hair. Squirming, Alec tried to wiggle out of her iron grasp as he protested vainly, "I wasn't serious when I asked for you to do my hair! In fact, I don't recall asking you at all!"

"I'm psychic!" Alice said with a growl, doing her best to pin him to the ground. "And I know that you're not going to escape, so sit still and take it like a man!"

"Aren't gay guys supposed to be all girly?" Emmett asked, shooting a suspicious look at Jace.

"His boyfriend is girly enough for the two of them," Jace said with a snort. "He dresses like a disco ball half the time." In a lowered voice, Jace muttered quietly to me, "You'd think Alec was being tortured by the racket he's making."

"This is torture!" Alec said, yelping as Alice effectively pinned him down.

Grinning like the cat that caught the canary, Alice bore down on Alec like a ravenous pack of stylists on a colorblind senior citizen.

"Poor Alec," I said with a sigh. "He stood no chance against Alice."

"On the plus side, he'll be able to attract Magnus with his snazzy new 'do," Jace said, shrugging a little.

Shoving Alice off of him, Alec stared intently at the two of us. "Magnus will like my new hair?" he asked Jace urgently.

"He won't be able to leave you alone," Jace said, dead serious.

"Work your magic, psychic!" Alec ordered Alice, throwing himself at her feet and sitting obediently.

Breathing on his nails and buffing them against his shirt, Jace told Alice with a smirk, "You're welcome."

Stunned, Alice worked silently on Alec's hair, styling it so it ran in idyllic waves around his face, framing his bright blue eyes and accentuating his lashes.

"You have such pretty eyes," Alice mused, reaching slowly for her bag of make-up.

"Run while you're ahead, Alec," I advised him. "She won't let you go until she's done your entire wardrobe if you let her continue."

"Just a few blue shirts," Alice said, shifting on the spot. I could see the pictures of endless outfits forming in her brain. "They'd bring out your eyes so beautifully."

Alec opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by the shrill of Jace's cellphone. Flipping it open, Jace said lazily, "What's up Izzy?" There was a pause as Izzy replied, and Jace's face grew serious. Sitting up straight, he listened carefully. "Is it contained?" he asked, standing up and reaching for his Seraph Blade. Immediately Alec and I stood, runes kicking in as we prepared for some sort of danger. "Keep it stunned for as long as you can," Jace instructed Izzy on the phone. "We'll be there shortly."

Snapping his phone shut, Jace said briskly to me, "They caught a newborn vampire sniffing around and trying to sneak into your room. One of their kind," he said, jerking his head towards the Cullen's.

"A newborn in Forks?" Carlisle said, rushing down the stairs.

"Why would it be by Bella's house?" Esme asked, drifting over to Alice to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. She was mumbling to herself, brow furrowed and face stony in focus as she tried to understand what she had missed.

"I don't know, but we're going to find out," Jace said, leading us out of the door.

. . .

I hope two updates in two days makes up for my huge break! . I feel terrible for not figuring it out sooner!

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed that cliffhanger-ish ending. As always, enjoy and review! I love you all and I love hearing feedback!


	18. Knock 'em dead

I own nothing!

. . .

With his arms and ankles firmly strapped to the chair in an unnatural flame that Magnus had conjured up, the newborn vampire didn't stand a chance. His burning red eyes watched us balefully, teeth bared as he hissed a garbled mix of threats and pleas. Baring his own fangs was Simon, who would growl occasionally at the newborn. It tried to hiss at him, but one look at Simon's growing fangs quieted him.

"What are you doing here?" Jace asked, eyes cold as his fingers drifted towards the Seraph blade in his belt.

"Like I'll ever tell you," the vampire said, spitting at Jace.

Casually, without blinking, Jace slapped the vampire hard across the face. "I asked you what you were doing here," he said in a dangerously calm voice. "You can either answer me, or you can have a taste of what a powerful warlock can do to you."

Baring his teeth in a smile, Magnus' cat eyes glowed with a malicious glee. "I was thinking of opening a Portal in your abdomen first. Summon a few flesh eating demons and let them have a good meal for once."

"I'm a vampire," he scoffed. "My flesh is too hard for that."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Simon interrupted. "Vampire meat is a huge delicacy to demons, especially ones like you."

"Ones like me?" the vampire echoed, bravado fading from his eyes.

"You can't run," Simon said, grinning. "You're a sitting duck."

Swallowing nervously, the vampire eyed Magnus warily. "I don't believe you," he said, voice shaking.

Shrugging, Magnus said coolly, "Suit yourself." Snapping his fingers, a small Portal appeared. It was like a miniature black hole: it created a wind that nearly snapped up Izzy's long black braids. Small tentacles began to wriggle out of it, waving as they slithered towards anyone near it.

Letting out a nervous growl, the vampire writhed in his seat as the demons slithered his way. "All right! I'll talk!" he yelled, jerking the whole chair as he strained to lean away from the demon-bearing Portal. "Get those things away from me and I'll tell you all you want to know!"

Clenching his fist, Magnus snapped the Portal shut and gave the vampire a level glare. "If you even think about lying, I'll open half a dozen of those in your stomach," he told him coldly.

Nodding nervously, the young vampire began to talk rapidly. "I got turned by a vampire named Victoria. She says she knows you, said that your mate killed hers so she figures that it's only fair to kill you," he said, nodding towards me.

"He's not my mate," I said irritably.

"Like that would matter to her!" the young vampire said with a panicked laugh. "She's got forty other vampires, all trained up to kill you. She wants you dead."

The words hung in the air, thick and terrifying. We all stared around at each other, sharing alarmed looks. The silence was broken by Jace who said calmly, "I can take about seven of them, give or take."

"I can kill about six or seven," Simon said after a few seconds.

"I think I could handle five," Isabelle said.

"I'd only be able to get three or so," Alec said, frowning. "And that's from covering all of you."

"I could handle ten or so if they came two at a time," Magnus said, inspecting his nails.

"And Bella could kill two, maybe three," Jace said, adding on his fingers. "That still leaves seven vampires, plus whatever new ones Victoria manages to create."

"Jake would help," I added. "He could handle two or three, but I don't know if the other wolves would help. We'd still have four vampires left."

There was a silence as we all pondered. "What if the Cullen's helped?" Alec mused after a few minutes. "I've heard that Jasper has had military training; maybe he could be of assistance."

Jace slowly nodded, starting to pace a little. "Do you think they would help us, Bella?"

"Edward's still in love with me, isn't he?" I asked sardonically.

"So much that it's disgusting," Magnus drawled.

"Then they'll help," I said shortly, reaching for my phone to call Alice. My fingertips had hardly brushed the cool metal of my phone before there was a booming knock on the door. "Get the door, Jace," I said, jerking my head in the direction of the hall. "I have a feeling it's Alice."

A few seconds later Alice was striding into the living room, her golden eyes flashing as she said confidently, "You're getting just as psychic as me, Bella." Close behind her was Jasper, who gave the vampire a withering glare that made it whimper and shiver in it's seat. Although Jasper's black eyes were intimidating, I had a hunch that he was using his power to intimidate the newborn.

"I'm not psychic, people are just predictable," I replied, resting my hands on my hips as I gave the newborn a once over. "So will you help us face Victoria?" I asked her.

"I wouldn't dream of ignoring your plight," Alice said coolly. "What time shall we schedule a practice? We'll need to adjust to each other's fighting styles."

"How about tonight at one in the meadow? That should guarantee no stray mundanes,"I suggested.

Alice nodded, while Jasper stalked over to the bound newborn. "Name," he spat at the youngling, eyes drilling holes into the newborn's head.

"Sean," he stammered, shrinking back into the seat. "Sean Fitch, sir."

"Rank?"

"I'm a scout," Sean said, voice shaking. "Victoria wanted me to see if any vampires had returned to the area."

"We can't have her knowing that now, can we?" Jasper growled, low and menacing. Sticking his face close to Sean's, he hissed quietly, "No we can't, can we?"

"N-no sir," Sean whimpered, his entire body shaking now.

"No, we can't." Standing up, Jasper contemplated Sean dispassionately. "So what shall we do with you? We can't release you, you'll just go trotting off to Victoria." It was a mark of Sean's fear that he didn't let out a cry of protest; he went almost translucent with fear. "And keeping you prisoner is a waste of space and a hassle," Jasper drawled, eyes flat out murderous. "So either you join us as an informant, or...."

There was a pause, before Sean worked up the nerve to choke out, "Or what, sir?"

"Or I tear you limb from limb and burn your body," Jasper said flatly, staring the young vampire down.

Shaking his head frantically, Sean blubbered, "I'll stay, I'll stay! I'll tell you anything you want to know, sir! Just don't kill me! I'll stay!"

"Good," Jasper said more calmly, his eyes gaining back a faint hint of gold. "You seem to have a good head on your shoulders; I'd hate to have to tear it right off your neck."

. . .

Ten minutes until one in the morning, our little group of Shadowhunters (minus Clary who stayed to watch over Charlie) and Simon and Magnus showed up in the clearing. Five minutes before one the Cullen clan showed up, glowing faintly in the moonlight. At exactly one, two wolves, Jake and who I guessed was Embry arrived in the meadow. Going into the center, Jasper inclined his head slightly towards all of us. "I'm glad you could join us," he said, nodding towards us and the wolves. "First order of business is that I request that you learn our individual scents. I would hate to have to fight one of you off in the heat of battle due to a mistake."

Slowly the wolves stalked forward, the russet wolf that was Jake in the lead. He sniffed cautiously at each Cullen, hackles raised as he seemed to snort from the sickly sweet scent. Embry followed close behind, sniffing cautiously and nervously. They moved on to the Shadowhunters, where they snuffled at our faces with less distaste and more wariness. When Jake reached me at the end, his tongue lolled out comically. "Stop drooling, Jake," I joked and he let out a small bark of amusement. Before I could even move away, Jake licked me clear across the face, leaving a trail of dog slobber. "Disgusting!" I shrieked as he barked loudly. "You jerk!" I said, slapping his ear lightly.

Simon, to my right, snickered a little and whispered to me, "This is why I'm a cat person."

Jasper cleared his throat and Jake swung his head around to get a clear look at him. "I would like to show you how we fight vampires, especially newborns," Jasper said, beckoning to the terrified Sean.

They sparred for a bit as Jasper shouted out instructions of things to do and things to avoid. The two wolves watched attentively while the Shadowhunters watched with mild disinterest. After all of the Cullen's showed off a few moves, Jasper politely offered for us to display our fighting styles.

"I'll go last," Jace said, nodding to each of us in turn. "First it'll be Simon, then Izzy, Alec and Bella." We nodded and began to prepare our weapons.

As Simon trotted out on the field, Jace announced, "We'll start off vampire to vampire and go from there."

In a few minutes, Simon was flinging Sean across the field and pinning him to a tree, hands ready to tear his throat out. "That's how you do it," Simon said fiercely, releasing Sean and gracefully running back to our little group.

Smirking, Izzy swayed her shapely hips easily onto the field, toying with her bracelets. "I'm showing you Izzy's style because I don't want any of you trying to 'save' Izzy. She's perfectly fine on her own," Jace told the Cullens.

Sean paced uneasily, before lunging towards Izzy in what he probably thought was a terrifying manner. He looked like a demented cat to me. Without batting her eyelashes, Izzy caught him with a flick of her whip-bracelet and tossed him across the clearing. The electrum whips floated around her like lightning, flickering out and snapping the limb above Sean's head and causing it to crash at his feet. He darted at her, hoping to force her into close combat. A solid kick from her thick soled boots discouraged that.

When Sean retreated to the edge of the clearing, Alec jumped into the tree and shot a few arrows around Sean to discourage him. Izzy retreated to our group, where we were content to watch Alec hold Sean off at a comfortable long range fighting position. When Alec seemed to be getting bored, I drew my Seraph blades and whispered "Ithuriel," and "Gabriel." The glow of the blades were my only reply as I strode cautiously into the meadow. I kept my head down and my knees bent, forcing my body into a frightened, cautious position. I always preferred to have my opponents underestimate me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward reflexively lean forward in preparation to defend me. Jasper tilted his body towards Edward, prepared to stop him. I appreciated that, but didn't have time to process it as I saw Sean darting at me. I dodged him, ducking and shying away from his blows, widening my eyes in mock fear as he played cat and mouse with me. His teeth bared into a grimace-like smile as his confidence swelled. His punches became cleaner and more stylish as he relaxed himself enough to show-off. My eyes drank in his style, memorizing his moves and reducing them into patterns. When I memorized all his moves and his pattern finally clicked in my head, I bared my teeth in my own fearsome grin. He barely had time to look puzzled before I bashed him across the face with the butt of my blade.

He staggered, looking floored as he swung around to catch me. I tripped him with the flat of my blade as he turned, knocking the wind out of him with a hilt to the gut. He tumbled gracelessly to the ground and picked himself up, teeth bared in irritation now. He tried to attack again, using his wide punch that was more intimidating but horribly inaccurate. For show, I caught his wrist between the two hilts of my blades. His eyes widened in shock as I dropped to the ground and rolled backwards, dragging him with me. Using his momentum, I flipped him over me and twisted to I landed on my feet, using his chest as the ground. Dropping viciously to my knees so that all the air was forced out of him, I straddled his chest and pinned his arms with my feet. Placing the sharps of the blades on either side of his throat, I said coolly, "You just died."

He swallowed, and I laughed. "At least, you would have, if this wasn't a spar. Lucky you, you get to live another glorious day." Hopping up, I trotted over a gave Jace a tag-team style high five. "Knock 'em dead," I told him as he headed over to the still-winded Sean.

. . .

I am so sorry that this chapter took so long to update! . It's not much of an excuse, but I currently have an exchange student living with me, so I can't have the computer too much. However, if it's any consolation, this story is beginning to draw to a close. After Shadows at Midnight, I will be starting up another Twilight fanfic and possibly a Harry Potter one. I love you all! Thank you all for your support and love! Only a few chapters left..... 3


	19. As the ashes rise

I possess nothing except the stories in my head... and the souls of my reviewers! (kidding!)

* * *

Amazing how much the world can change in a few days. Last week I was simply worrying about Edward's still-undying affection towards me and what Izzy was threatening to cook in the kitchen. Today I was wincing as Clary drew runes on my arm and Jace spouted battle tactics with Jasper. They had bonded shortly after our early-morning fighting session, recognizing a fellow soldier in the other one. Alec would drop a few comments in from his spot nearby, keeping Jace's excited mind in the stratosphere. My living room was bustling with activity: runes were being drawn, battle plans were being made, vampires were trying to not fight with two of our resident werewolves. It seemed that the only thing that hadn't changed overnight was Izzy's ability to cook.

Speaking of Izzy's absurd inability to cook...

"Who wants breakfast?" she called from the kitchen, where I had warily been watching smoke curl out of.

Jumping up, Jake and Embry started towards the kitchen. "We're starving," Jake said, and I could believe it from the saliva that was all ready starting to form.

"He won't be for much longer," Clary muttered, biting her lower lip as she finished a complicated rune on my shoulder.

"Ten bucks that he'll eat it anyways," I muttered, watching my friend with a mixture of amusement and pity.

Arms slipped around my waist, cold and wiry, as Simon nuzzled his chin into my shoulder. "Twenty says he'll puke from it."

Ten minutes later I was handing Simon a twenty dollar bill as Jake took residency in the bathroom.

"Thank you," Simon said, folding the bill neatly into his jacket. "I'll be buying a special lady something nice later."

"I didn't know you were so friendly with Alice," I retorted sharply. Alice looked up at that, her golden eyes flashing as she bared her teeth in a smile. Without blinking, Simon bared his fangs in a disturbing smile that sent faint goosebumps down my spine.

Before I could blink, Simon was behind me, dragging me against his chest and resting his chin against the crook of my neck in a casually intimidating way. "Scared yet?" he murmured softly against my throat.

Digging my elbow between his ribs, I wrapped my foot around the back of his knee and dragged him to the ground. Rolling myself over his shoulder, I pinned his arms behind his back and pushed him to the ground. With a flick of my wrist I slipped a stele out of my sleeve cache and laid it so the cool edge caressed Simon's throat. Smiling sweetly, I whispered in his ear, "Not even close."

From his spot on the couch, Jace said, "Nice reflexes, Bella."

I nodded coolly to Jace before I slid the stele back into my sleeve. "Sorry about that sweetie."

Standing fluidly, Simon smiled at me and leaned on his arm over my shoulder. Leaning close, he said lowly, "I'll forgive you if you give me a kiss."

"With a knife?" I asked teasingly, easily whipping my blade out and running it along his smooth cheek.

"I was thinking more like this," Simon murmured, leaning close. Nuzzling along my cheek, Simon's cool breath washed over my face. Kissing my lips gently, Simon slipped his arms around me and held me close to his cool body. I relaxed against his chest, allowing my hands to creep into his hair. His lips moulded against mine and my heart began to leap in my chest. His hands began to trace along my ribcage and as I began to arch my back, Jace interrupted.

"I believe he asked for a kiss, not a baby."

"What if I wanted one?" Simon asked, teeth flashing as he smiled mischievously.

"Too bad," Jace said impatiently. "You can wait ten years or so. Maybe a hundred, actually. Besides, we can't have you knocking up our favorite Shadowhunter."

I laughed at Simon's horrified expression. Alice cleared her throat and gave us a stern look. "We have an army of newborn vampires arriving in two hours. We should get serious."

"I'm all ready serious with Clary," Jace said coolly, seating himself on the couch and gesturing for us to sit as well. We sat in a semi-circle around Jace, unconsciously drifting towards him as our leader. Enthroned on the couch, he surveyed us all with his harsh golden eyes. Nodding to Jasper, Jace asked graciously, "Would you like to elaborate our plan, Jasper?"

Tilting his head in thanks, Jasper perched easily on the arm of the couch and began without preamble. "We'll use Bella as enticement for the newborns. They won't be able to resist the scent of her blood and will most likely break ranks." In the back of the room, Edward stirred in protest but Jasper talked over him, raising his voice. "When they break ranks we'll have Alec pick them off from his cover in the trees. As they approach, our clan will attack first, since we're least likely to actually die. If any get past us, which some inevitably will, then the wolves and the Nephilim will handle them."

There was a respectful silence as we all mulled over the plan. "Sounds good to me," I offered, glancing at Jace.

"Sounds good to you?" Edward burst out from the back of the room, his voice nearly cracking. "You're going to be live bait!"

"I may be live bait, but I have people watching my back," I shot back.

"How do you know one won't slip past and attack you?" Edward demanded. "How will you be able to protect yourself?"

Temper flaring, I snarled, "The same way I've been protecting myself these past few months! In case you haven't noticed, Edward, but I'm a Shadowhunter. I have been training-"

"But you haven't been one your whole life, not like Jace," Edward interrupted me.

"I'm good enough-" I said hotly.

"No Bella. You'll be in danger. I can't agree to this... this insane plan," Edward said, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry to hear that Edward," Jace said coldly. "Unfortunately, you have no say in whether Bella can fight or not. I have been training her and I can honestly say that she is ready to fight." Edward opened his mouth to protest, but Jace cut him off. "You are on my last nerve, Edward. You continually doubt and undermine my authority over my friends, you question matters over which you have no experience or knowledge of and you constantly disrespect Bella by obsessively controlling her and telling her she can't do anything. Either you shape up and learn to respect those who know what they're doing, or leave. I will not tolerate your arrogance any longer." Eyes blazing like twin suns, Jace regarded Edward like a disgusting cockroach.

Silence reigned in the room as Edward and Jace stared at each other, two men ready to fight to the death. Finally, Edward's eyes dropped to the floor and he slumped against the wall, face crumpled and ashamed. Turning and regarding Jasper once more, as if nothing had happened, Jace gestured for Jasper to continue.

"We will head out to the field in twenty minutes, so we can set up," Jasper said quickly, eyeing his brother worriedly.

Our semi-circle dissolved after that as everyone hurried around, getting their last minute preparations taken care of and double-checking what they all ready had prepared. Edward gestured for me across the room; I placed a restraining hand on Simon's shoulder and gave Jace a reassuring smile. Walking over to Edward I quietly asked him, "What is it?"

"I'd like to apologize," he said humbly. "I didn't... I never meant to be disrespectful towards you. It's just... I just..."

"You wanted to protect me," I said shrewdly. "You're used to taking care of me, and you want to continue to do so." Edward nodded miserably, and I gave him a sad smile. "I understand, but you need to understand that I don't need that anymore. I'm a big girl, Edward. I don't need you like that anymore."

"I'm afraid that if you don't need me to protect you anymore, then you won't need me at all," Edward mumbled. "And if you don't need me, you'll leave."

Toying with my hair, I said quietly, "It's honestly not like that, Edward. I'm different now, though. My entire future has changed directions. I can't stay around a little town like this..."

"You really are going to leave?" Edward demanded sharply, eyes turning a pained ember.

I couldn't meet his eyes. "I don't know when," I said meekly. "But I'll be leaving for Idris sometime soon."

Edward caught his breath and turned away, covering his eyes with his hand. I looked helplessly towards Jasper, and he shook his head and jerked it towards Jace, indicating that I should let Edward be. We continued to prepare in silence as Jasper stood steadfast next to his brother, pouring calm into him.

The run to the meadow was still subdued, even after Edward had calmed down. In order to keep us busy, Jace had us scout the area and place a few clever traps. Alice, from where the Cullen clan stood, paced nervously and mumbled to herself. Ignoring the growing tension, Jace began to idly stretch his lithe body. I joined him, stretching my body as far as I could without causing pain, hoping it would loosen it adequately for the oncoming battle.

Briefly I took off my metal wrist guard, rubbing and rotating my wrists to work out the stiffness. Glancing over, Jace reached out nimbly and caught my wrist in his hand. Turning it over, his gold eyes poured over the cool, silvery scar on the inside of my wrist.

"I haven't seen this one before," Jace remarked thoughtfully. "It doesn't look like it's from a Mark."

"It's not from a Mark," I agreed, viewing my wrist critically. The scar shimmered lightly in the sunlight, casting a faint sheen across my pale skin. "It's from James."

Brow puckering in thoughtful confusion, Jace repeated softly, "James?"

"Victoria's mate," I explained, watching Jace's eyes flash in surprise. "He hunted me last year. Hunting was his favorite game and I was the perfect prey. What could be more fun than going after a snack that someone else has?" I asked, glancing towards the Cullen's. My eyes traveled to the lonely figure of Edward, tormented and as familiar as a burned home.

Jace's slender fingers traced the shape of the scar as he asked softly, "So where did the scar come from?"

I grinned without humor. "I fell for his tricks. He fooled me into believing that he had my mother, so I went to meet him, alone. I would have died, had Edward not saved me. Even so, I was bitten."

Jace's warm hands rested on the scar, warming the frosty skin and burning it with his heated skin. "How is it that you weren't turned?"

I looked fully at Edward now, smiling softly as he looked covertly at us. "Edward sucked the venom out. It was amazing that he didn't lose control and drain me."

Jace's hand lingered a few seconds longer as he said stoutly, "Make sure you don't get that close to another one this time."

"I wasn't planning on it," I said as he released my wrist. Wrapping it once more in the guard, I relaxed as the cool metal meshed with my cold scar. I felt the dregs of my old life wither as my armor rested against my skin. The cold of steel was replacing the old cold of Edward's arms...

Alice went rigid, face tense and painfully focused as she strained towards the horizon, eyes intense and faraway. "They're coming," she whispered. "They'll be here any minute."

Drawing his Seraph Blade, I muttered to Jace, "I am so glad that we convinced Clary to stay and guard my dad."

"Worried that someone will slip past and attack him?" Jace asked me, not glancing my way as he focused on the battlefield that the meadow was about to serve as.

"No. I didn't want her to get as scared as I feel right now." I admitted. "But now that I'm scared, it's making me mad."

"Take it out on the newborns," Jasper said from right behind me. "That always helps me."

"Thanks Jasper," I said, twirling my Seraph Blade experimentally around my fingertips.

The newborns arrived within ten minutes. They entered the field cautiously, red eyes burning in their sallow faces as they paced closer. Their faces raised and their noses crinkled as they scented the air, tasted the scent of my blood and their eyes turned black with hunger. I saw a hint of red in the forest, blooming like a wildfire before the first few newborns broke ranks and charged towards us. Their gait was swift but clumsy, like a newborn colt. Their black eyes blazed as they snarled and hissed. The frontmost one leapt high into the air, consumed by bloodlust. There was a faint snick of a bowstring and a hiss before the vampire twitched in the air and fell to the ground in a sickening crunch. The arrow stood out of his neck like the mast to a ship.

The other three newborns charged heedlessly, eyes blind to danger as they sought out the blood that tormented their senses. One by one they fell dead to the ground, cut down by Alec. The others edged forward more cautiously, suspicious of the deaths of their comrades but hopelessly attracted by the scent of human blood. Alec picked them off as quickly as he could and arrows seemed to rain across the field. One newborn, smarter than the rest, crept forward behind the vampire in front of him and used him like a shield. He darted out behind the fallen vampire at the last second, lunging at Izzy. She slashed at him with her whips, slicing his head off and watching it fall to the ground.

The ranks broke completely then and melee broke out with it. The newborns rushed at us, teeth and nails brandished as they slashed and lunged at us. Jace hacked a newborn vampire in half with two brutal strokes of his blade before he turned to parry the next one. I found myself surrounded by three newborns. Brandishing an electrum wire whip similar to Izzy's, I whirled it above my head until it hummed a lethal note. Slashing it through the newborns around me, I cracked flesh and bones alike as the whip decimated their bodies. From his spot in the trees, Alec frantically picked off vampire by vampire, trying to cover everyone's backs.

One slipped past Alec and my defenses. I turned to find myself face to face with a black haired vampire. His red eyes glowed dully in his head as he stalked closer, his stout body drifting like a jungle cat. Knowing that he was too close for my whip but too far for my Seraph Blade, I briefly wondered how I was going to get out of this. As he lunged for my throat, there was a flash of copper and the grating sound of marble flesh being torn limb from limb. In a matter of seconds, Edward had torn the young vampire to shreds and was standing triumphantly over the discarded body.

He turned to me, eyes glowing a startlingly dark gold as he regarded me with a bittersweet mixture of concern and betrayal. Giving him a lopsided grin, I told him, "Thanks for that." He nodded and turned to fight, keeping his back to mine. We fought back to back after that, coiling like a snake as we slashed and tore at the newborns. A large chunk of a newborn sailed across the field, flung by Jacob's ravaging maw as he shook and tore vampires to bits. The hand of one such vampire flew over Edward's shoulder, catching my eye as the stony appendage made a gory flight. My eyes alighted on a newborn, stealthily creeping up behind Edward as he fought desperately with another vampire. Without pausing for thought, I grabbed a knife from my thigh-sheath and threw it at the vampire with all my might. Flying right between Edward and the newborn's scowling faces, t slammed blade-first into the vampire and sheathed itself in the newborn's skull. The offending vampire gurgled and sank to the ground, killed instantly. Edward and the vampire he was fighting paused for a moment, both stood dumbstruck as they realized how close the knife came to their noses. With a single blow, Edward knocked the head clean off of the newborn and nodded his thanks to me.

The battle raged on, with chunks of bodies flying everywhere and corpses piling up. As the tide of newborns began to wane, I noticed a flare of red towards the edge of the meadow. Catching a similar vein of thought, Edward glanced sharply towards the glow. Standing with her arms casually folded, Victoria watched the battle emotionlessly. Standing slightly behind her, a young newborn kept glancing at her, eyes filled with blind adoration. I met Jace's eyes through the chaos, conveying my idea through a stare. Following my lead, we fought our way through the chaos and approached Victoria.

Staring down at me, she tossed her mane of fire-bright hair and said coldly, "Bella." Her voice was a soprano, ringing out with a childish clarity.

"Victoria," I said, acknowledging her with a bow of my head. "How about we settle this now?"

Lips curving into a smile, she said coolly, "I don't want to make my hands dirty with your putrid blood."

The boy puffed up his chest and proclaimed, "I'll fight her for you, Victoria!" Jace bit down a snicker and the boy swung around to face him, growling. "I'll take pleasure in tearing your throat out next," he snapped.

"I can't wait," Jace said, dead-panning the vampire.

Leaping at Jace, the vampire lost his temper as he snarled, "You won't have to!" They crashed to the ground in a messy, tangled heap. Attempting to slash at Jace's face, the young vampire hissed death threats that Jace laughed at. They fought viciously; the vampire with a desperate hatred and Jace with a manic desire for the battlefield.

"Now that it's just us," Victoria purred, her soprano voice reverberating like a piccolo, "Why don't we get started?"

Sliding out my Seraph Blades, I said coolly, "Lets."

She lunged at me then, claws slashing through the air with a demonic howl that blew my hair around my face. I parried frantically, weaving the blade around my body like an aura. The sharp sting of the flat of the blade across her palm created vibrations that carried through my body and left my hand stinging. Suffering in a similar way, Victoria skittered backwards, baring her teeth as she growled in the back of her throat. Circling me, she watched me carefully and critically, desperate for a weakness. My left hand itching for my second Seraph blade, I knew that I needed to draw her closer for any of my attacks to be effective. Reaching for my blade, I forced myself to stupidly look down for the blade. Taking the bait, Victoria charged at me like a bull, hair flaring behind her as she leapt into the air. In a smooth movement, I unsheathed my second blade and named it. Using them like twin swords, I twisted my body and slashed them like a tornado, cutting two deep gouges in Victoria's side. She howled in pain, making my ears ring from the pitch.

Her attacks were more violent now. Her claws were everywhere, nails tearing at my hair and clothes, trying for anything to get me with. Once, to my misfortune, I leaned in too close and got a raking scratch across my cheek. The newly opened wound stung from the sweat pouring down my face and the metallic tang of blood was in my mouth. Victoria purred deeper now, her eyes darkening until they were black. "Delicious," she crooned, sinking into a languid crouch. "I'm sure your blood will taste all the better when I drain your pathetic body of every ounce of it." This time, she went for my neck. I crumpled under her weight, rolling on my back and propping her away from me with my Seraph blades.

"Don't be afraid, Bella," she sang, eyes blazing with madness. "Death will come eventually, and I'll make sure to send your little friends after you. Your precious Edward will follow last and I'll make sure he suffers more than my James ever did. Die with that thought, stupid girl."

That was enough to irk my temper. I was used to death threats from demons and vampires, but the moment my friends were in danger...

Rocking forward, I used the momentum to throw her off of me and into a tree. Flipping upright, I didn't give her a chance to recover before I was slashing at her with my knives. She tried to stagger away, caught off guard by my sudden attack. Scores of gouges appeared on her marble body, valleys that scarred her and tormented her. I pressed on, ignoring the blood mingling with my sweat and dripping down my face in a sickly concoction. "Let's get a few things straight," I hissed, my blade smashing across her shoulder. "Your mate, James, died because he was a sadistic bastard and didn't know when to stop." The Seraph blade traced under a rib next. "Second, Edward isn't my mate. He's my friend." Tucking a blade back into my belt, I slammed Victoria against a tree and pinned her there. "Last: Never threaten my friends."

"Or what?" Victoria spat, hatred still burning in her blood red eyes.

"Or I end you," I said calmly. "When you see James, tell him to keep rotting in hell." Gripping my blade tightly, I drove it through her stomach, severing her spine with a harsh thrust. Her flesh made a grating sound as the blade cut through it, groaning her protests as her mouth opened uselessly. Tightening my grip on the Seraph blade, I twisted it slowly and painfully in a semi circle, effectively destroying any spinal cord left. Her legs buckled and she hung limply from the blade like a grotesque puppet. Drawing my second Seraph Blade, I silently beheaded Victoria with one solid swing.

It was after her death when I realized that the battle had died down. Looking around, I saw Emmett and the others were gathering the newborn's bodies and gathering them into a pile for them to burn. Limping towards Edward, I gave him a tired smile and said, "It's over."

Coming from behind me, Jace rested his hand briefly on my shoulder and agreed wearily, "It's over." For a moment we were quiet as we viewed the numerous bodies that were now accumulating in a pile. Jace's face looked ancient as he stared grimly at the carnage and I had a brief image of what Jace would look like in twenty years, if we all lived that long. Then he turned to me and grinned impishly, breaking the image of the far off future. "You fought well, Bella."

"You sure took care of her," Emmett chimed in, regarding the body with a mixture of morbid curiosity and disgust. Braving his fears, he grabbed the blade and strained to get it out of the tree. Nothing happened for a few minutes and Emmett strained harder, muscles standing out as cords as he struggled. There was a crack, and a large chunk of bark came out with the Seraph blade. Peeling that away from the blade, Emmett whistled. "Damn Bella, you sure did a number on that tree. I don't even want to think about what you did to Victoria."

We burned the bodies in the meadow and watched the smoke curl upwards into the sky, staining the clouds with a sickly sweet stench. Coming forward in human form, Jacob and Embry approached and stood nearby. Giving me a brief hug, Jacob whispered, "Good job, Bells."

I gave him a one-armed hug, before I went around to check on all of my friends. There were a few scratches here and there and besides from a few new bite marks on Jasper's arms, we were mostly undamaged.

Jace sat me down on a log so he could draw an _iratze_ on my cheek. Edward joined us after a little while, standing cautiously nearby. "You were incredible today, Bella," he offered quietly, watching me curiously.

"Of course she was," Jace answered absently, drawing the finishing touches on my cheek. "I trained her."

"Thank you for training her so well," Edward said solemnly.

Jace nodded, politely returning the niceties before he trotted off to help fix up a newfound scratch on Alec's forearm.

Edward and I stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes. "I really did mean it, Bella. You were fantastic out there. If I hadn't been on your side, I would have been terrified," he said, his voice low and serious.

Smiling, I tenderly rubbed my healing cheek. "Thanks. You've got some incredible skills yourself."

Shaking his head, Edward said wonderingly, "Yeah, but I'm a vampire. We were created for this sort of thing. But you... I never thought I'd see the day where a human with a knife could take me out with ease."

I smiled. "You were created for this, I was born for this. It's in my blood."

"I can see why you love it," he said slowly, struggling for words. "You're really good at it and it looks... natural. Like you've been doing this your entire life."

"It feels like I've been doing it my entire life," I said.

Rubbing the back of his neck ruefully, Edward admitted, "What I'm trying to say is... I'm going to miss you while you're in Idris, Bella. Promise me you'll drop by at some point? Alice would love to see you again, and Esme loves you. Emmett would want to wrestle you... Not to mention that your friend Jacob would miss you too."

A smile spread across my face as I looked over at Edward. "I'll visit whenever I can, Edward."

We settled back into our peaceful silence, watching the ashes rise into the air and dissipate into the faint wind that was beginning to stir.

* * *

One more chapter, my sweets!

To answer some of my amazing fans:

LaBella Gomez: I'm sorry, but Shadows at Midnight is drawing to a close. I'll be writing one more chapter, so have heart! My next Twilight fanfic is going to be a lot different. I will end up having it be a JacobxBella, but I promise that there will be reasons for it and that it will be an awesome romance. :3

Magik Sause Of Death: Thanks for so many comments. :) I adore getting feedback. Yes, the joke was from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. I'm glad that people appreciated it. :)

Sophie Cullen 68: That was a fantastic idea to add in! Thank you so much for that idea, I had totally forgotten about that until now. I'm glad I could at least attempt to add it in.


	20. One last look

And with a heavy heart, I present to you the final addition to Shadows at Midnight. I own nothing. The Twilight cast belongs to Stephanie Meyers and the Mortal Instruments cast belongs to Cassandra Clare. I only claim the awkward situations I shove them into.

* * *

"Do you have everything?"

Adjusting the straps of my backpack, I nodded dutifully to Charlie for the sixteenth time. "I have everything."

"Are you sure? Did you remember your pajamas? Underwear? Toothbrush? Socks?" Charlie fussed, running his hands through his hair again.

Placing my hands on his shoulders, I gave him a fond smile. "Dad, I'm fine. We've checked at least a dozen times now. I have everything, and everything is going to be okay. Trust me."

Taking a deep breath, Charlie let it out shakily as he exhaled slowly. "I know, I know. I'm just so nervous about you leaving." Gathering me into a rough hug, Charlie mumbled into my shoulder, "I'm going to miss you, Bells."

"I'll miss you too, Dad," I said, hugging him tightly. "I'll visit for all of the holidays. I'll even try to get some summers off."

There was a scuffle of footsteps as the Cullen family approached. Smiling tenderly, Esme said softly, "Don't be a stranger, Bella. We'll all miss you."

I gave each of them a hug, even Rosalie. "I'll visit when I can and write when I can't," I promised them. "That goes for you too, Jake," I added, spotting Jacob hovering around the edges of the room. Gathering him in a hug, I whispered into his shirt, "Take care, Jake. Keep building motorcycles for me, all right? You never know when Jace and I will show up to race them."

Hugging me back fiercely, Jacob mumbled, "I'll all ways be waiting for you to show up, Bella."

There was a knock on the door, and a nervous silence layered the air. "That's probably Jace," Charlie said dejectedly as he slunk towards the door.

"I'm going to miss you all," I reiterated. "Don't hesitate to send me a letter; between getting beaten up by Jace and being beaten up by demons, any non-Nephilim news will be a relief." A small, weak, chuckle went around the room as everyone refused to meet each others eyes.

Reaching for my hand, Simon drew me into a tender embrace. I clutched the fabric of his shirt between my fingers, breathing in his faint musk that was almost masked by the sweet scent of a vampire. "I'm going to miss you so much, Bella," his lips formed the words against the hollow of my neck, reverberating through my chest cavern and into my heart.

"I wish you could go with us," I admitted, hugging him tighter.

Kissing my forehead, Simon drew away and said sadly, "I know. I wish I could go too. But you'll do fine in Idris, I know it. You'll be outdoing Jace in no time at all."

"And you'll do fine in Denali," I said, automatically brushing his hair out of his eyes.

I didn't want to leave Simon. Despite the weeks of preparation for this moment, it stung and made my heart ache. I could only allow myself to look forward, though. Dwelling on the past would get me nowhere; I learned that one the hard way. I wasn't going to retake that course again. I brushed Simon's hair back one last time and kissed his forehead, biting down the urge to kiss him soundly, despite our audience. Instead, I turned and gave everyone one last embrace.

"Ready to go?" Jace asked from the doorway, a sad smile playing around his lips as he leaned against the doorway.

Looking around one last time, I tried to drink it all in: the lumpy couch that Charlie would watch sports on, the dusty tables with the old photographs scattered on them that Charlie would occasionally ghost his fingers across. The kitchen where I cooked for Charlie and where Magnus and Alec nearly gave Charlie heart failure. The chair where Simon and I had first kissed due to that silly game of Truth or Dare. My bed, upstairs, where Edward had guarded me while I slept. The old truck, which had to be left here, sitting outside on the driveway. That truck held so many memories; ones of Jacob and I driving around the town, ones of Edward driving while I rode with the window down and my hand in his and ones of Simon riding next to me while Jace rode in the truck bed as he laughed at the world as it rolled past. The front porch that I had once shared a cup of coffee with Charlie in the morning, where we sat and let the smell of coffee and the sound of silence wrap us like a blanket. The bedroom window that looked out across the world of Forks. Had I never opened it that night that Edward had crept in, none of this may have happened. I would have never tasted the world that I was now so irrevocably caught up in and in love with.

"Yeah," I said. "I'm ready."

* * *

I would just like to thank all of my amazing readers for sticking with me to the end. Here's to twenty chapters of hard work, late nights and amazing readers! I'll be starting up a new fanfiction sometime, so keep me on the radar.

Thank you all so much again, just for being here throughout the series. To all of you who made this story a part of your favorites or to those who kept me on your updates lists. I love you all so much!

-Meneme-chan


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